Liz MacKean and Meirion Jones, the two Newsnight journalists behind the axed Jimmy Savile child sex abuse investigation, have publicly attacked the BBC's decision not to run their story for the first time.
MacKean said on Wednesday, following the publication of the former head of Sky News Nick Pollard's report into the BBC's handling of the Newsnight Savile investigation, that the decision to kill their story, which was corroborated with interviews with the late Jim'll Fix It presenter's victims, was not just "seriously flawed" but also a betrayal of the women who bravely came forward to reveal the abuse.
"The report finds our story for Newsnight was right; the decision not to run it was seriously flawed," MacKean said.
"I think the decision to drop our story was a breach of our duty to the women who trusted us to reveal that Jimmy Savile was a paedophile. Many found it difficult to share their experiences as vulnerable girl."
MacKean said that Newsnight's editor, Peter Rippon, did not even watch the filmed interviews with the main witnesses from Duncroft School for vulnerable girls, who told how Savile visited the school 40 years ago seeking sexual favours in exchange for rides in his Rolls Royce and trips to the BBC.
"Our editor didn't watch the interview with our main witness. Nick Pollard did and found her credible and compelling; as did we," MacKean said, reading a statement outside BBC New Broadcasting House.
She also referred to Rippon's blog posted immediately after ITV exposed Savile in October 2012, where the Newsnight editor gave inaccurate information about the reasons for the cancellation of the report.
"As for what [Pollard] called the 'chaos' caused by the inaccurate blog of October: I welcome the recommendation that the BBC should trust its journalists," said MacKean, the Newsnight reporter who is leaving the BBC in March.
Jones, the Newsnight investigations producer, who first started to look at Savile child abuse allegations in early 2011, has also attacked the BBC's decision not to run the programme.
The BBC's decision to drop the report "caused all this chaos and let down the victims", he said, adding that he hopes the corporation will take measures to ensure it does not make the same mistake again.
Taking a sideswipe at BBC management, who instead broadcast tributes to Savile, Jones said: "Last Christmas Newsnight knew – the BBC knew – that Jimmy Savile was a paedophile.
"We knew he'd been investigated by the police, We had the first interview with one of his victims, we had corroboration. We had footage from the 1970s victims in BBC studios with the abusers.
"The BBC pulled the investigation and ran the tributes to Sir Jimmy Savile that caused all this chaos and let down the victims and trust in the BBC – I hope the BBC now takes measures to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.
"Today I am confident that the BBC has taken measures to make sure that children are safe here."
Jones first came across allegations of abuse at Duncroft School shortly after Savile died and put the programme idea to his editor.
The Pollard report found that he had started to take an interest earlier in the year, when he came across references to abuse by a "JS" on a website, FanStory, which matched hints from other residents of Duncroft on the Friends Reunited site.
MacKean and a Newsnight colleague had made contact with 60 potential witnesses, 10 of whom agreed to be interviewed.
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