The sound of Institutional silence

I don't propose to speculate on the alleged sexually aggressive behaviour of a deceased television presenter, marathon runner and champion of charities.  Clearly there isn't much speaking well of the dead right now as alleged victims, witnesses and others populate the airwaves and column inches; and some of the living might well be feeling a tad uncomfortable - guilty by association is a strong flavour.

Guilty by institutional blind eye turning might just turn out to be a dirty rotten stink that no amount of bleach, cleaning and steaming the carpets in the corridors of the BBC will clear.

If Top of the Pops was in fact 'Pick of the Tots' for a sexual predator, questions need to be asked not least about how young people  attending the recordings of the programme were  'picked' and how they were chaperoned while at these recordings.

What child protection policies and procedures did the BBC have in place and just how did presenters (if they in fact did) invite young people into their dressing rooms?  Were presenters and other employees ever given any rules on behaviour regarding minors?

Where there ever any complaints made by young people to BBC personnel or to the police? If yes, how were these investigated?

Where there ever any complaints made by employees or associates of the BBC regarding the conduct of TOTP presenters? if yes how were these investigated? 

Did the police ever interview BBC personnel regarding any allegations or concerns regarding the behaviour of TOTP presenters? 

If there was knowledge  "open secret' about alleged predatory behaviour of TOTP presenters, how high up the chain if command did this go?  Who was aware of the allegations or the rumours and where did any recording of concerns and actions go?

Was any TOTP presenter, production team member or any BBC employee or associate ever interviewed regarding allegations?

Was there ever a whistleblower or whistleblowers? If so was any action taken?

Is there any evidence of payments made to alleged victims or BBC 
employees or associates to prevent legal/criminal proceedings  or buy silence?


Is there any evidence of  collusion among a number of key individuals to "enable" predatory behaviour and or to cover it up?

Is there any evidence of a paedophile "ring" or multiple abuses of vulnerable children by multiple adults?

Clearly, the BBC has a lot to think about and ultimately a lot to answer - even providing the conditions which enable adults  to have unsupervised access to children and young people  without those adults being screened as to the appropriateness  of such contact, is totally wrong, unconscionable in fact.

The BBC  is proud of its investigative journalism, leaving no stone unturned in exposing corruption in all its guises. Perhaps it should examine its own conduct - whilst the named individual cannot be called to challenge his accusers, there are many questions for the BBC to answer that can't be buried and may very well haunt it for years.