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The boarding school was inside one of Shropshires finest buildings, Culmington Manor, a sprawling 19th Century stately home on a 100-acre estate. Author, journalist and former BBC producer. First arrested . She didnt say so, but she must have known what was going on, says Gail. There were horses, chickens and pigs to look after, and a swimming pool, squash and tennis courts. It was home to about 37 boys when it opened in the mid-1960s. None of these investigations ever led to charges. One punishment was a lashing with a hosepipe, cut into strips. Read about our approach to external linking. But when the evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, it concluded there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offences and the case was again closed. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. [117], The offences were mostly opportunistic, although child grooming was involved in some cases. . Jean Tantrum did cleaning and odd jobs at Brookside - a mother herself, she doted on the girls, and they were just as fond of her. It was, she now believes, one of the ways he managed to hide his wrongdoing - by hiring people he already wielded power over. He never said anything, she says. I didnt go to school much and if anyone ever said anything to me I used to back-chat, that sort of thing, he recalls. Cliff Richard, Operation Fernbridge, Hugh Grant and the gay childhood crush. He says he doesnt remember being that bad as a kid, but in 1968, he was taken from Liverpool to Brookside. [153] Although the case against Dave Lee Travis resulted in a conviction on one count of indecent assault for groping an adult woman's breast for 15 seconds in 1995, Rosie Millard and Carole Malone wrote separate opinion pieces in The Independent and The Daily Mirror respectively in which they questioned whether police resources should have been spent pursuing other crimes. I didnt believe it. Mount wasted no time in making regular trips to Gails dormitory at night. 19 other stars were arrested, leading to seven convictions, including Gary Glitter, Dave Lee Travis, Max Clifford, Rolf Harris, Chris Denning, Michael Salmon, and Geoffrey Wheeler. [31], Clifford was rearrested by Operation Yewtree police on 12 March 2015[44] and charged with an additional count of indecent assault on 3 July 2015. [136] King stood trial in June 2018 but the jury was discharged for legal reasons. She said they could not have made it up.. I walked into a hall with big windows and I turned to my mum to say I didnt want to stay., The last thing nine-year-old Stephen recalls seeing out of those windows was his mother driving away: She just jumped in the car and left. I cant believe he was able to go back there.. He started as a despatch rider, then became a wireless operator in France and Northern Ireland, where he met his first wife, Beth, before being posted to Italy. Police are preparing to make a new wave of high profile arrests as part of the investigation into historic sex abuse, it emerged last night. When it found there had been no wrongdoing, he tried to sue the force. [159], Operation Yewtree was the inspiration for a drama, National Treasure, starring Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters and Andrea Riseborough. Arrested in North London on suspicion of sexual offences. One boy repeatedly fought off Mounts advances and was regularly thrown in the blazer cupboard for his disobedience. The underlying question here which should have been asked more directly is whether Fox feels he did anything wrong, given that the judge says he believes the complainants, even if it did not amount to criminal behaviour. . [133] On 10 September 2015, three men were arrested as part of Operation Ravine, including Jonathan King. "[147] After others, including Jim Davidson and Gambaccini, were left on bail for many months before being told they would not face charges, then-Home Secretary Theresa May proposed that bail time be limited to 28 days. These claims are related to the case by codename Operation Yewtree, the national investigation into child sex abuse claims against deceased former television presenter Jimmy Savile. On the one hand, the fallout from mere association with wrongdoing and especially with crimes such as those within Operation Yewtrees remit can be terrible. I knew it was wrong, but he properly groomed me. Ill have a word with Mr Mount, the boy replied. In September 2016, Wheeler was charged with five counts of indecent assault. I knew he remembered. By 1974, police had been informed of more allegations against Mount. Letters she had written to her father over many years were scrutinised, the contents of her diaries laid bare. For 2012 was also the beginning of Operation Yewtree, the investigation led by the Metropolitan police into Jimmy Savile that rapidly expanded to. I used to think, maladjusted - what does that even mean? To this day, I dont know why I was sent there. Ive moved on. At one point, the interviewer, as Fox demands, quotes a part of the judges summary that seems to require comment from him: We heard evidence of about 10 allegations from six women. Family photographs, including one of them smiling together at her graduation, were shown to jurors. Jack Mount was born in 1919 and grew up around the family farm near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. Fox is notably guarded. He had his eyes closed. The documentary also prompted claims that some senior figures at the BBC must have heard rumours about Savile in the years proceeding his death and that action should have been taken earlier. And he could stay up later and watch TV. She says she had never seen or suspected a thing, despite her own traumatic experience. [111], Savile's celebrity status meant that he was considered to have been "hiding in plain sight". He pleaded not guilty and his trial at Southwark Crown Court began in March 2017. His mother blamed his unruly behaviour on falling off a church roof and badly injuring his head, aged six. It was also reported that Savile committed a number of offences while on BBC premises where he had worked between 1965 and 2006, including a sexual assault during the recording of the final episode of Top of the Pops in 2006 (Evening Standard, 11 January, 2013 Savile: The Full Horror). When Hill House School in Shropshire came up for sale, he seized the opportunity. The watershed moment in the treatment of victims of non-recent abuse would not come until 13 years later. At the back of the property, a large wood towered over the leaded bay windows; to the front were rolling fields, with views of lush countryside stretching miles towards Worcestershire. [119], Most allegations had not previously been reported to authorities, with victims stating reasons of fear of disbelief or distrust of the judicial system. You just didnt say things against him.. Kevin Conroy On How Life As A Gay Man Helped Create His Batman Meanwhile, he went back to running his school, welcoming a fresh set of pupils. Authorities determined Athena was missing after a postal . Read about our approach to external linking. [109][111] Operation Yewtree's senior investigating officer, DSI David Gray, said Savile used Jim'll Fix It "as a vehicle to gain access to victims". I want to tell them I understand and I know how difficult their lives will have been [that] they are so brave., Philip has been back to the school grounds on a number of occasions to try to come to terms with what happened. On one occasion in the barn, he encouraged Steve to look at a pornographic magazine while performing a sex act in front of him. Time may tell, but documentarians could speed it up. His victims included a dying young boy who confided in his parents before he died that he was being molested at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which was just one of 14 medical sites where Savile preyed on his victims after gaining the trust of staff (The Independent, 12 January, 2013 Savile Used Celebrity Status to Become Britains Most Prolific Sexual Predator). One concerns Savile's crimes exclusively, whilst another relates to allegations against Savile and others. In a memoir he wrote about his early life, Mount described the joy of watching Barnsley home games at Oakwell football ground, the smell of hops wafting over from the nearby brewery. Mr Spindler spoke to the BBC about Operation Yewtree back in 2012, US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, 15 minutes to defend yourself against the death penalty, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Polar bear kills woman and boy in Alaska village, Potential jurors find Musk smart - or 'off his rocker', World's oldest person, Sister Andr, dies aged 118. We didn't get it set up early enough. Philip had been due to give evidence in the third trial. For 2012 was also the beginning of Operation Yewtree, the investigation led by the Metropolitan police into Jimmy Savile that rapidly expanded to include other sexual abuse cases involving celebrities. I just couldnt connect it all, she says. He was playing with Jack Mount. Mount was awarded costs from public funds for his defence and, buoyed by the support, demanded an inquiry into West Mercia Police for wrongful arrest and imprisonment. During the documentary, five women made allegations of sexual abuse against Savile. By October 2015, 19 people had been arrested by Operation Yewtree;[2] seven of these arrests led to convictions. An ITV documentary, Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, researched and presented by former police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, was broadcast on 3 October 2012, almost a year after Savile's death. Why werent we included? Tricia Mount recalls a somewhat happy childhood, albeit one that was controlled by her strict and authoritarian father. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The rumours surrounding Mount, however . Its one of my worst nightmares, delivering information like that - I was gutted for them.. Gail received some acknowledgement of what happened to her: in 2016, she was awarded 10,000 by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. It was, Philip believes, a missed opportunity. When asked by the interviewer if they can talk about what he was accused of, Fox replies: No. Later that week, his friend asked if he wanted to join him in the cellar with Mount. Living in the countryside with four brothers and three sisters was exhilarating, with days spent building tree-houses and dens, or catching rabbits and moles. He was put into care in Moss Side, Manchester, then three years later, in 1965, sent to Brookside. It felt like it was me on trial, not Jack., Tricia believes her father thought he had rescued vulnerable children. He would not concede to any of it. Arrested in South London, and given bail, alongside Gambaccini. [146] In the aftermath of Cliff Richard's August 2014 property search, human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson wrote in The Independent that the long delays before announcing charges amounted to "outrageous treatment", adding: "This has been one of the most intolerable features of other high-profile arrests for 'historic' offences, namely the inability of police and prosecutors to deliver Magna Cartas truly historic promise that justice will not be delayed. Philip says after the abuse started, he was given the good jobs, such as looking after the horses. He would stand by the bed, take my hand and make me do things to him. Marina Musker, who arrived a year later in 1976, says Mount became increasingly brazen. On another occasion, in the school hall, he raped a fellow pupil and forced Gail to watch. He went on trial in the December at Shrewsbury Crown Court, charged with indecent assault, attempted gross indecency, and incitement to commit gross indecency. On 12 February 2016 the CPS announced that Harris would face seven further indecent assault charges involving seven complainants aged between 12 and 27 and having allegedly occurred from 1971 to 2004. In 2009, he put his hand up the skirt of a 43-year-old woman who had been chatting to him on a train (The Daily Telegraph, 11 January, 2013 Jimmy Saville Spent Every Waking Minute Thinking About Abusing Boys and Girls). Gambaccini and Richard talk freely, with passion and vulnerability about their cases and experiences. [112] The CPS said prosecutions "might have been possible" in connection with allegations made to Surrey Police between 2007 and 2009. At 96, he was the oldest person ever to face historical sex abuse charges in a British court. There were animals, a swimming pool and all the staff were friendly, Gail recalls. Sentenced on 27 February 2015 to 16 years in prison. He even chastised them - he said it was a conspiracy. Her life became no easier when she was sent to Brookside by Nottinghamshire County Council, aged eight or nine. We have got some things wrong. [29][30] On 5 February 2015, Gadd was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one count of having sex with a girl under the age of 13. That is what destroyed it for me. Ive never known whether to blame her or Mr Mount., Stephen was adopted by an American army captain in 1974 and has lived in the US ever since. [69], In January 2016, Salmon was charged with 26 child sex offences, including one count of rape. Physical tests backed up their claims. Every time, juries and judges found in his favour. [143] Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe denied claims of a witch-hunt, commenting that the alternative would be to ignore allegations. I was just a kid.. Hours of legal argument before the trial discussed how such an elderly defendant, who by now had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, would cope with evidence from 19 alleged victims. [1], In an article for The Spectator, Rod Liddle criticised the handling of these cases by police, especially in the case of Freddie Starr, who was arrested four times and bailed nine times before being told he would not be charged, claiming: "the way the police have conducted the process is hugely unfair". He just broke down and said I know why youre here, says Gavin. Being abused by the father she loved and trusted left her extremely conflicted and confused. Hed come in and carry the girls out of the dorm - wed all be there wondering who hed pick tonight. I looked around and it seemed to me that the kids werent happy. [10], The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation on 19 October 2012 as, in addition to the historic allegations of child sex abuse by Savile, there were "lines of inquiry involving living people that require formal investigation". She wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to Marina and Gail. Mount, who appeared frail in the dock, was accompanied to court by his wife. I think they were trying to find places to put up with me., Gail remembers many of the staff fondly and says the school seemed like a nice place in the beginning. I remember them saying I was maladjusted. We were under the impression no-one could help us. The programme contained several allegations by women who said that, as teenagers, they had been sexually abused by radio and television personality Jimmy Savile, who had gained access to them through the television programmes he had presented and his charity work. Operation Hydrant is not responsible for conducting independent investigations; it gathers information from other inquiries, including Operation Yewtree. Twelve more public figures including politicians and police are being investigated by over claims of historic sex abuse. Among those willing to speak were Philip, Amadu, Gail and Marina. Some of the witnesses were furious at the decision - and at Gene. Arrested around the same time as Davidson. After that, I was watched constantly because they knew Id want to run away., Marina Musker was taken to Brookside by staff from Sefton Education Authority - she thought she was going for a day out. The Accused: National Treasures on Trial (Channel 4) is an hour-long documentary focusing on three men, who, years later, are willing to talk about being caught up in what one of them calls a witch-hunt. The search for Athena Brownfield, missing since last week, is now considered a "recovery operation," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The internet is abuzz with rumors that Madonna might tour in 2023. But the terror she felt at revealing anything about her own abuse forced her to remain silent. [145] In a November 2015 debate organized by the NSPCC on whether investigations into historic sexual abuse had turned into "media witch-hunts", former Metropolitan Police commander Peter Spindler said that police "got some things wrong" and that they "didn't have sufficient resources in place". 1955 The earliest incident of abuse recorded by the police, which took place in Manchester, where Savile was managing a dance hall. I gave them yes and no answers, says Philip, now a 64-year-old grandfather. He told MPs he was the victim of a witch-hunt and that he was used as human "fly paper" to encourage other people to come forward and make allegations against him. 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