BBC to tell Jimmy Savile victims' stories with new documentary The Abused
Director general Tony Hall said the new BBC1 documentary would "give survivors a chance to share what happened to them"
Director general Tony Hall has announced that the BBC has commissioned a new documentary which will give victims of Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse "a chance to share what happened to them."
The Abused, a new documentary set to air on BBC1, promises to give survivors of Savile's crimes a voice and allow them to share their stories.
Hall said in his speech following the publication of Dame Janet Smith's report on Savile that he wanted "the BBC to do more as a programme maker" when it came to the subject of sexual abuse, starting with the new documentary.
"On BBC1 we have already commissioned a documentary called The Abused," Hall said. "This gives the opportunity for many survivors who came forward as part of Operation Yewtree to share what happened to them. I want us to be a forum for a national debate about child abuse and about how we can do more to support survivors."
In his speech, Hall addressed Savile's victims directly. "The BBC failed you when it should have protected you," he said.
"I also know that it cannot have been easy for you to come forward and confront the past like this," he added. "Many of you have done so for the first time. I admire your courage and am grateful for your honesty. Your voice has finally been heard but I also recognise it has been heard far, far too late."
