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Original poster

to be more and more outraged by latest Jimmy Savile report?

94 replies

Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 18:15

The more I read, the more I think about it, the more disgusted I am. For anyone who has had a sick and frightened child in hospital (as I have) to read of children being abused in their hospital beds…..that is about as low as it is possible for a human being to sink. Just for that alone I hope he is rotting in hell right now.

And I don't believe for a minute that senior management at SM hospital didn't know what was going on as the report claims. How on earth could they not know? What a disgusting whitewash and a travesty this is. Over £7m of public money spent on a report which concludes nobody is to blame for this??

OP posts:
toothypeg · 01/03/2015 20:17

Amy Flowers

I'm so sorry. I believe you Sad

Yes I feel as though hospitals are now so worried by my potential litigation risk that they cannot even think about the risks of who they left me alone with

Babynamechange · 01/03/2015 20:17

Exactly what livingtothefull said

Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 20:18

AmyLeeha and toothypeg - I am so sorry at what you went through and the reactions of some people, I hope you have the rl support you deserve.

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CuttedUpPear · 01/03/2015 20:19

albertcamus I heard that interview. It was disgraceful that R4 were giving airtime to that awful woman. She almost seemed to change her tune by the end but she basically said that she didn't believe the accusations because they hadn't been brought to her, and if someone really had been abused, they would have said so at the time.

A friend of mine, as an adult, spent a long time convalescing at Stoke Mandeville around 1990. I remember offering to make him up a notice, like the ones that had been circulating previously which said "In the event of sudden illness, please do not allow Margaret Thatcher to visit my hospital bed". I was suggesting he had one the same but with JS being denied access.

I remembered this when the stories started to break - obviously it was part of popular conscience at the time the JS was creepy and that there were some valid reasons behind it.

Koalafications · 01/03/2015 20:19

By waiting until he has died, It is also makes the victims less credible.

"Oh they have waited until he has died and can't defend himself before coming forward"

It really makes my blood boil.

Notrevealingmyidentity · 01/03/2015 20:24

Is the author if that book still alive ? Have they confirmed it is about savile and that they knew/suspected ?

Pedallleur · 01/03/2015 20:25

They were different times - innocent perhaps and people who knew about him were often lower down the rung so were in fear of their jobs. The idea of giving keys of a ward or prison cell to someone who wasn't a health care professional or letting him set up a caravan in the grounds of a childrens home seems unbelievable now but that's what happened. Remember he was running marathons for Stoke Mandeville and raising money for service personnel. he was one of the v few civilians to be awarded a Green Beret by the Royal Marines.
Back in the day I worked in Child Psychiatry in a childrens hospital and there was an incident when the Nursing Manager was found to have invited children from our area to his office to sit on his knee etc. Needless to say he was removed from the job, got divorced etc. Recently there was the case of the anaesthetist who was recording children in his care. These are positions of trust and we take it at face value these people can be trusted. The NHS has 1000's of people who are caring, hard working people and in any organisation there will be a 'bad apple'. In these cases the apples are indeed rotten but hopefully they are caught.

TaintedBlood · 01/03/2015 20:25

m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20210837

His nephew seems to have died as a result of the scandal.

CuttedUpPear · 01/03/2015 20:32

You are right about those being different times Pedallleur

I remember as a child there being reference to certain men being 'kiddie fiddlers' but it was always with a snigger, and the inference was that the children themselves should take responsibility for keeping themselves out of harm's way.

Sunnymeg · 01/03/2015 20:41

My Gran was in and out of Stoke Mandeville hospital for about two years before she died. I have no idea whether anything could have happened to her or not. I do know she met JS there though.

Brummiegirl15 · 01/03/2015 20:48

Amy and Toothypeg I believe you both

I'm 38 and I was a patient on the Children's Ward at Stoke Mandeville in the late 80's and very early 90's. Nothing happened to me and I never saw JS in my time there but my Mum has told me there were rumours back then, and apparently a few nurses made comments about him.

Stoke Mandeviile and Buckinghamshire NHS Trust have a lot to answer for. They knew and turned a blind eye. Heads should absolutely roll for this. It is never too late for justice

Pedallleur · 01/03/2015 20:51

'Pooftahs' were feared more than 'fiddlers' which were more figures of fun!! No-one knew about care homes/pervy priests etc. Even with the recent trafficking/grooming cases it was vulnerable girls who 'were asking for it' so the more this appalling stuff is exposed at all levels and harsh justice applied the better. None of this the Pope forgives or someone is given a job in the EU.

KERALA1 · 01/03/2015 20:53

Needs to be similar legislation to money laundering. As a solicitor even if you suspect it you have to report or you yourself are liable as well for knowing but not reporting. If this was brought in for child abuse with some early harsh prison sentences it could help.

Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 20:58

Not saying that you are entirely wrong Pedalleur and CuttedUpPear about the different times. I grew up in the 70s, I remember low level sexual abuse such as groping, bottom pinching etc being treated as a bit of a joke and that it was up to me to avoid it. So yes times have changed, in this respect for the better.

But we are talking about a different order of evil here…..to abuse helpless patients suffering cancer, burns, paralysis - that is sheer depravity regardless of time & place. Anyone in a responsible position who knew about JS committing such acts and did nothing, should be held accountable. They won't be though.

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AmyLeeha · 01/03/2015 21:04

Thanks people.

I totally agree with Kerala.

And yes, that woman on R4 was just shocking. Can't see the point of having her on. It's already established that the victims are telling the truth, it's not like they needed to give "the other side" a chance to speak.

YouTheCat · 01/03/2015 21:06

JS was a procurer of children for his high up friends. That's how he got away with it for so long. This stretched all the way to at least one PM and I'm pretty damn sure subsequent PMs have known about this.

They should all be tried and anyone titled who's died should have those stripped.

Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 21:12

Yes YouTheCat and that goes for 'Sir' JS too (can't bring myself to write his name in full). Let's not forget the knighthood he was awarded, of which, we are categorically told, he cannot be posthumously stripped.

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AmyLeeha · 01/03/2015 21:34

Living - crazy! As we are the only country that knights people, we're allowed to change the rules! Or you'd have thought so!

Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 21:50

I agree Amy, it makes no sense that he should retain this honour given what we now know about him. But I have little doubt that those who made the decision to recommend him for/award the honour, did so knowing who and what he was.

It beggars belief that there is no mechanism to strip an honour from a person who proves him/herself unworthy of it. But apparently that is the case. Such is the country we live in….and I for one am ashamed.

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Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 22:43

I have heard the rumours that he procured children for powerful figures within the establishment. There are some things that do not add up about all this, it makes no sense for someone like JS to have such high profile friends and such a position of trust. I don't have a lot of confidence though that the truth will ever come out

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Branleuse · 01/03/2015 22:51

high level freemasons

Original poster
Livingtothefull · 01/03/2015 22:53

Branleuse how do you know that?

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Hathall · 01/03/2015 23:05

It's all so appalling and shocking.
Quite terrifying too.
Isn't there talk that Jill Dando was investigating this whole thing when she was murdered?

DopeyDawg · 01/03/2015 23:19

The culture of 'hushing up' in the UK is very strong still.
There will be things happening now, that in 30 years people will be commenting on in a similar way.
The window dressing of 'accountability' is there now, but it is only window dressing often.

BiggerBuns12 · 16/03/2015 13:28

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