Jimmy Savile report is 'waste of money' says woman molested by DJ on Top of the Pops

A woman molested by Jimmy Savile on a live episode of Top of the Pops has criticised a report examining the paedophile’s misconduct while working at the BBC.

Sylvia Edwards has criticised the report by retired judge Dame Janet Smith as a “waste of time and money”, after a leaked draft of the review did not criticise the BBC for not discovering the abuse and accepted denials from senior bosses that they were aware of his behaviour.

Ms Edwards, who was interviewed for an hour as part of the review, told The Sun: “Of course the BBC knew what he was doing. In my case it’s even on video for God’s sake.

“Any adult watching would have known something wasn’t right. I’ve never had a personal apology from the BBC and I don’t think his other victims will stomach this report.

“It makes you feel like the whole thing was a waste of time and money. I’d hoped it would hold people properly to account”

Video footage of the programme shows Ms Edwards, then 18, being groped by the depraved entertainer during an episode of Top of the Pops on 25 November 1976.

The DJ can be heard saying: “I tell you something, a fella could get used to this, as it happens, he really could get used to it.”

Ms Edwards said she reported the incident to a floor manager after the programme had finished and claims she was told to: “Get lost – it’s just Jimmy messing about”.

The judge’s leaked draft report says Ms Edwards was “one of two quite serious indecent assaults” and girls on the show were place in “moral danger”.

The review, leaked to online news site Exaro, identified more than 100 BBC employees who had “heard about Savile’s sexual conduct” and said the former presenter’s abuse of children took place at numerous BBC buildings. Three of Savile’s victims were nine years old, it said.

One of the key findings in the report said Savile habitually invited a group of young girls – his “Team” – to watch him present Top of the Pops and then chose one for sex.

Despite these findings Dame Janet also said: "I do not think any member of senior management was made aware of Savile’s abuse of young people while working on Top of the Pops", however it did criticise the corporation’s culture.

According to Exaro, Dame Janet said: "My general impression is that most staff (other than those who had been in the higher echelons) felt that the management culture was too deferential and that some executives were 'above the law'."

Investigations into allegations of sexual assault were "wholly inadequate" the report said, and the BBC was criticised for failing to properly examine his personality, despite rumours about him and that he worked with children.

The leaked draft was published a day after it was announced the long-delayed final report would be published within six weeks.

A statement on the Dame Janet Smith Review website said the draft report was out of date and significant changes had been made to its content.

Additional reporting by Press Association