Police: Savile abused 22 pupils of school for emotionally disturbed girls
At least 22 pupils and one visitor at a school for emotionally disturbed teenage girls in England were the victim of 46 offences of sexual abuse by prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile, according to a police report.
Surrey Police has concluded its investigations into the activities of the TV personality who was given “unrestricted and largely unsupervised” access to Duncroft School in Staines, Surrey, which he visited at least 16 times between 1974 and 1979 and even stayed overnight on two occasions.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced in December last year that no charges would be made against former staff members following the police investigation to find if anyone was complicit in the abuse.
Surrey Police launched Operation Outreach after receiving reports of sexual abuse committed by Savile at Duncroft following the ITV Exposure programme.
The aim of the probe was to determine the extent of his activities and to see if he was aided by anyone at the school.
The report says Savile first visited Duncroft on January 21 1974, and ceased when it temporarily closed in 1979, during which time he visited at least 16 times, although evidence from victims and witnesses suggest he attended more frequently.
Although written records show he stayed overnight twice, the report received accounts saying he stayed more frequently, in his own camper van or in staff quarters.
He is also recorded to have twice stayed at Norman Lodge, a hostel in the grounds used as a place of transition for girls who had gained employment, and also visited the intensive care unit twice.
The report says: “Jimmy Savile is recorded in log books to have taken pupils out, with a strong indication that they were unaccompanied by staff, on three occasions. It is evident that Jimmy Savile was given significant access to the grounds and buildings, and it appears that this access was unrestricted and largely unsupervised.”
Duncroft was originally run by the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH), later called MIND, before its management was transferred to Barnardo’s in 1975. A total of 166 pupils were identified as having attended the school between 1974 and 1979, of whom 54 have had contact with Surrey Police as part of the investigation.
Of the 46 offences established by Surrey Police, 25 occurred in the grounds of Duncroft, six in Norman Lodge and 15 off-site but within Surrey.
Four offences occurred in vehicles taken to the school by Savile and others were in various rooms in Duncroft including the principal’s office, dining room, common room, kitchen, TV room and a bedroom or the intensive care unit, while 13 of the off-site offences occurred in vehicles taken to the school by Savile.
Of the 23 victims, 10 were abused on a single occasion by Savile and 13 were abused at least twice.
Five victims were abused seven times and one was abused three times.
The report says: “The nature of Jimmy Savile’s offending ranged from non-consensual kissing, touching of breasts over clothing, touching of breasts under clothing, vaginal touching, vaginal penetration with hand, forced masturbation, forced oral sex, and other sexual touching.”
If charged, Savile would have faced an allegation of rape, five of assault by penetration, two of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and 38 offences of sexual assault.
The report says Surrey Police submitted a file to the CPS in relation to two members of staff at Duncroft during the relevant time period with the remaining staff members not considered as suspects.
The CPS decided there was not a realistic prospect of conviction by a jury although prosecutors explained to the victims that they believed the accounts that they had been given.
