to think that what the BBC have done wrt to Jimmy Saville is as bad as the Catholic church?

[ethelb]

Just that really. The BBC appear to have been involved in an insitutionalised cover up of Jimmy Saville's behaviour, with people knowing but keeping quiet for years.

AIBU to think it is just as bad as the behaviour of the catholic church wrt to peodophile priests?

Sorry! I meant the bbc were being given the benefit of the doubt, despite that never happenign ot the Catholic church.

If it was such an "open secret" then people throughout the media would have known (including staff at the papers now kicking the Beeb). I don't understand how so many people from all walks of life apparently knew but did nothing. He wasn't the PM, he was a Dj and hosted some kids programmes, not exactly the Godfather.

I think it is a shame that the BBC is getting the brunt of the fallout though considering that a large number of the staff who work
there were probably the kids who used to watch his show on a Saturday night! It would be a shame if they were made to feel culpable for crimes committed so long before their time.

"It would be a shame if they were made to feel culpable for crimes committed so long before their time."

Do you think this is a concern of people on the catholic bashing threads? If not, why not?

If you're going to bash the Catholic Church OP then best you get bashing the nurses at Stoke Mandeville who allegedly told sick children to pretend to be asleep when he was visiting. Or you could start a Catholic Church bashing thread with the honesty to be just that?

Madge, have you read the thread

Amazingly - yes! I'm just wondering, if you think the Church is complicit in either the abuse or the cover up, why you're not mentioning others who are surely equally or even more guilty in that respect.

The current bosses of the BBC seem to be committed to proper investigation as soon as police timelines permit. As those at the top will have reached their posts after his retirement, including the current Governor, I do not see they would have anything to gain by attempting to cover up and they would have a great deal to lose if they were not both thorough and seen to be thorough.

It cannot right past wrongs, but lessons learned can only be helpful. It is too soon to say if this will be done properly. But the BBC can now choose to act in a way totally different to repeated attempts at cover up (as reported to have happened in other institutions) and it will be a sign of strength if it so does.

I worked at one of those hospitals and used to see him quite a lot. I never heard of him abusing patients there but there have been two complaints received now I understand. I'm going to ask my x as he was a hospital manager there.

Madge: Ethelb is not bashing the Catholic church. She is making quite the opposite point.

"I'm just wondering, if you think the Church is complicit in either the abuse or the cover up, why you're not mentioning others who are surely equally or even more guilty in that respect."

I don't think the church is complicit in the Jimmy Saville cover up. I was saying that was a wierd idea I think another poster was suggesting. And I was cross that a few posts in someone seemed to have blamed the catholic church for the jimmy saville scandle. Which is odd.

And I am asking why the bbc is not being exposed to the same vitrol as the catholic church over a paedophile cover up. I think it is becuase people in this country are unfairly vitrolic about the catholic church.

You may have read the thread but you obviously didn't understand it.

Obviously not. Sorry. I'll read it again.

I'm 86 you know

Yes, definitely.

ok sorry I'll be nicer

And I am asking why the bbc is not being exposed to the same vitrol as the catholic church over a paedophile cover up.

Well, it's because as followers of Christ,the Church is (i.e. the people in the church), I don't quite know how to put this, not following our baser natures but aspiring to follow His example. (I am not a Catholic btw, but am Christian.)

But I don't agree that the BBC is not exposed to vitriol - there are people out there gunning for them.

I think heads could roll at the BBC actually. Wouldn't like to be in George's shoes right now !

but do you think people will be urged to boycott the bbc in the way people have been urged to boycott the catholic church (for example the pope's visit). A lot of the vitrol on here at the time justified their attitude by claiming that it was because of the paedophile preist scandle.

Some people have called for just that e.g. refusing to pay the licence fee, boycotting Children in Need.

I think the BBC are just as reluctant to admit what has happened as the Church. They are victim blaming and making excuses to hide their complicity. I present for example the following quote from a BBC exec about the issue.

"I have subsequently heard, round about the time of his funeral, stories about his preferences for young girls, but never about underage young girls. It's a fact that red-blooded males tend to like younger women."

From this article published today

Pathetic.

tell you what, caroline thompson must be thanking her lucky stars she dodged this bullet.

It woudlnt'have been so bad for her, would it? she wasn't a Newsnight journo (not that long ago for George). He doesn't seem to have many excuses for not knowing.

Just as an example here is a thread that appeared when the pope visted the UK:

Catholic church - time to call it a day?

I haven't seen anyone suggesting the BBC is actually closed down.

true brycie. but hellish start to a job. reminds me of a friend who went for a job at haringay just before baby p broke. she was up against another friend of hers who got the job. career over after that.

i mean for the poor sod who got the job.