Force Reveals ‘Missed Opportunities’ To Investigate Allegations

North Yorkshire Police has apologised to victims of abuse at the hands of Jimmy Savile and his friend Peter Jaconelli, after it was found that officers missed opportunities to investigate the men while they were alive.

The police force stated that 35 people had come forward regarding the pair following a BBC Inside Out programme, with the available information indicating chances were missed to examine the allegations before they died.

It was confirmed 32 cases related to Jaconelli, a former mayor of Scarborough, between 1979 and 1988. Five reported offences for Savile were for between 1979 and 1988.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy said: “It is important that the victims have been able to make their allegations heard, and that their cases have been comprehensively examined by the police, regardless of the passage of time.

"It is a matter of great regret that, from the outset of the investigation, there was no prospect of true justice being achieved as the suspects are deceased.”

Expert Opinion

It is shocking to see revelations related to the extent of alleged abuse by Savile and Peter Jaconelli continue to emerge, particularly with analysis identifying that more should have been done to investigation the concerns raised. <br/> <br/>"While the apology is welcome, for many victims who came forward with allegations this will be too little too late. The key lesson which must be learned is that police officers need to do everything within their power to ensure any allegations are thoroughly investigated. <br/> <br/>"The priority must be to ensure that young people are always safeguarded from potential risks of abuse or neglect." Luke Daniels - Partner