Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Savile, Freemasonry and the Police

Savile (and Friends) make a donation to their favourite charity: The Police Benevolent Fund.
And Two Tickets to the Secret Policemen's Ball; one for me, one for The Widow's Son.


"The review also examined reports that up to eight officers attended the infamous "Friday Morning Clubs" at Savile's flat in Leeds – but insisted this did not protect the disgraced entertainer from prosecution.

The report said: "No evidence has been found to conclude that there was any impropriety or misconduct in relation to the Friday Morning Club.

"All of those people spoken to who had knowledge of the Friday Morning Club described it as a "coffee morning." "








Despite the review by West Yorkshire Police (WYP) finding there was an "over-reliance on personal friendships" between Savile and some officers, it concluded: "There is no evidence that he was protected from arrest or prosecution for any offences as a result of his relationship with WYP, or individual friendships with officers."

Even after receiving child abuse allegations, one officer – who was a personal friend of Savile's – joked "Jimmy gets so many of these type of complaints," while the force continued to use his image for publicity purposes, the review showed.

The 59-page report said it was "of greater concern" that the force continued to use Savile as part of crime prevention campaigns – even after it received a request from Surrey Police in 2007 to check what records were held on the broadcaster as part of its investigation into Duncroft School.

The review also examined reports that up to eight officers attended the infamous "Friday Morning Clubs" at Savile's flat in Leeds – but insisted this did not protect the disgraced entertainer from prosecution.

The report said: "No evidence has been found to conclude that there was any impropriety or misconduct in relation to the Friday Morning Club.

"All of those people spoken to who had knowledge of the Friday Morning Club described it as a "coffee morning."

The report stressed that at the time the paedophile was "seen by most of the public as a man who did good work," allowing him to evade justice.

Police officials today admitted the force was "duped for many years" by Savile and that officers had "failed [his] victims".

However, responding to today's report, lawyer Alan Collins, who represents more than 40 of Savile's victims, said the report simply "doesn't add up" and that the force was guilty of "collective myopia".

"Savile was able to run rings around the police for decades. He used police officers," he said.

"He was engrained with them, dovetailed with them.

"The report begs a lot more questions. It provides some answers but the report reveals memories that are not as sharp as perhaps they ought to be, 'can't remember', documents that can't seem to be located," he added.

The West Yorkshire Police report examined the history of Savile's relationship with the force

We must do everything we can to understand why that was, to ensure it does not happen again
Assistant Chief Constable Ingrid Lee
The report said 68 of Savile's victims have now come forward in the force area and shockingly revealed his youngest victim was just five-years-old.

Victim Support, who advises West Yorkshire Police on sex abuse and who have helped Savile victims, today said it is "disturbing" that none of Savile’s victims in the region felt unable to contact officers about their complaints while he was still alive.

Assistant Chief Constable Ingrid Lee said today that she feels "incredibly saddened that the victims didn't feel able to come forward, and we must do everything we can, working with our partners, to ensure that we understand the reasons why, to encourage more victims to come forward because we will listen."

She added: "Savile was a national celebrity. He duped millions of people, the police included, into believing that he was a celebrity, a charity fundraiser, a person who did good for the community.

"He duped millions of people and lived on that myth for ages, and police officers also will have been duped in the same manner."

The disgraced Top of the Pops presenter has been revealed as one of Britian's most prolific abusers

Disturbingly, the review also examined suggestions Savile was a "person of interest" in the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry in the 1970s.

It found that many records has been destroyed but they had found thousands of record cards with information about men who had been spoken to.

The report said: "They contain scant information and do not indicate whether Savile was a 'person of interest' to the inquiry team.

But the review said: "One card does make reference to Savile offering his services as an intermediary for the police, should the 'Ripper' wish to make contact."

Ms Lee admitted "there is no doubt that police forces made mistakes in relation to sharing and keeping information relating to Savile so no single clear picture of his offending could be made.

"As Savile's home police force, WYP would have been the obvious place to collect all such information, but investigation has shown that much of the available information during Savile's lifetime was never shared with WYP and, when it was WYP, did not connect the events to recognise a potential pattern of offending.

"We must do everything we can to understand why that was, to ensure it does not happen again."


Savile and a Friend From a Certain Place.

"We Want Your Soul..."

Now, then, now-then, now/then...

"Australian broadcaster and artist Rolf Harris is awarded he Officer of the Order of Australia by the High Commissioner, John Dauth, at Australia House. Picture: John Stillwell Source: Getty Images

HE has received almost every award there is but as he was presented with another gong today, Rolf Harris said just still being seen as a larrikin in his homeland Australia was all the recognition he needed.

Harris, 82, was today appointed Officer of the Order of Australia , from the Queen's Birthday Honours list , for services to performing and visual arts and to charities and to international relations through promotion of the Aussie culture.
The entertainer said he was humbled by his award, more so than any other because it showed Australia appreciated him.
Harris, who has lived in the UK for more than five decades, said it was a marvelous thankyou from Australia who had not forgotten him.

"It is a lovely feeling," he said. "I am so very much an Australian living in this country and I had a marvelous childhood in Australia and a marvelous setup for my life."
He said being an Australia meant he always felt he could speak "even-Stevens" to anybody in the world and it was that attitude that helped him survive overseas for as long as he has.



Australian broadcaster and artist Rolf Harris holds the Officer of the Order of Australia. Picture: John Stillwell Source: Getty Images

In 2006 Harris received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in addition to previous honours including being appointed an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1968, an OBE in 1977 and became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1989. This, all in addition to honourary doctorates and other industry awards.

Harris, accompanied by his wife Alwen and other members of the family at his receiving of his gong at the Australian High Commission in London, said he will continue to act as a roving ambassador for Australia for as long as he lived.

"The main thing I think I've brought is a sense of larrikinism and the fact you've got permission to muck about and do silly things as well as do serious things," he said.

"You just now you don't need to be formal and pompous all the time, you can muck around a bit and people welcome that, you've broken the tension melted the ice as it were and have a laugh."

Harris is to return to the stage next year for a one night only performance of song and painting at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Originally published as Chuffed Rolf wants the last laugh "



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