Operation Yewtree

Operation Yewtree (also known as the Yewtree Inquisition and the Savile Inquisition) is a police investigation into historical sexual abuse allegations in the UK, some dating back more than 50 or 60 years. It began with the investigation into the British media personality Jimmy Savile (who died in 2011). The investigation led by the Metropolitan Police Service started in October 2012 but quickly expanded. After satisfying its original objectives instead of disbanding, it became a full criminal investigation involving inquiries into many living people (mostly involved in the entertainment industry). Described as a modern day witch hunt, it has so far led to 16 arrests and one death.

During the course of the Yewtree Inquisition, a new term emerged in the British press called, historic/historical sex abuse investigation and allegations.

Barbara Hewson

In May, 2013, a leading barrister Barbara Hewson came under fire in the British press for an article she wrote that appeared on the Spiked news website where she described Yewtree as a "witch-hunt" against aging celebrities that echoed the Soviet Union. She stated, "I do not support the persecution of old men. The manipulation of the rule of law by the Savile Inquisition – otherwise known as Operation Yewtree – and its attendant zealots poses a far graver threat to society than anything Jimmy Savile ever did." The article which was entitled, "Yewtree is destroying the rule of law", lead to a storm of controversy and moral panic where Hewson was descibed in the British press as " ‘vermin’, a ‘fucking animal’ who deserves to ‘rot in hell’, a ‘cretin’, a ‘scumbag’, a ‘paedophile sympathiser’, a ‘whore’, a ‘cunt’, a ‘paedo-loving slag’, and, of course, a ‘witch’." Hewson summed up her article with the following statment:

"It’s time to end this prurient charade, which has nothing to do with justice or the public interest. Adults and law-enforcement agencies must stop fetishising victimhood. Instead, we should focus on arming today’s youngsters with the savoir-faire and social skills to avoid drifting into compromising situations, and prosecute modern crime. As for law reform, now regrettably necessary, my recommendations are: remove complainant anonymity; introduce a strict statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil actions; and reduce the age of consent to 13."

People arrested

Former pop star and convicted sex offender Gary Glitter was arrested as part of the investigations into Savile on 28 October 2012; he was questioned at a London police station for more than nine hours and bailed until December.

Comedian Freddie Starr was arrested on 1 November on suspicion of related offences and released on bail the following day. He was re-arrested on 24 April 2013.

On 11 November, former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath, who had been interviewed for the Exposure documentary, was arrested in Cambridge on suspicion of connected sexual offences; he was later released on bail, denying the claims made against him. No charges were brought against De'ath after the complainant withdrew her statement, confirmed Alison Saunders the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London in March 2013. De'ath was later told that he would not face any charges, and said that the police action had been "overzealous".

A fourth man, DJ Dave Lee Travis, was arrested in Bedfordshire on 15 November; and was later released on bail. The police said allegations against him were unrelated to Savile, and Travis said his arrest had been on matters not linked to children. Travis was re-arrested on 13 March 2013 on suspicion of further sexual offences. Travis was charged on 15 August 2013 on suspicion of twelve historical sex offences. Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court, on 13 February 2014 Travis was found not guilty on twelve counts of sexual assault, with the jury unable to reach a decision on a further two counts.

On 6 December, it was reported that publicist Max Clifford had been arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, on suspicion of sexual offences; after his release on bail, he denied what he termed the "damaging and totally untrue allegations". On 26 April 2013, Clifford was charged with 11 indecent assaults against girls and young women between 1965 and 1985.On 28 April 2014, Clifford was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault, acquitted of two charges of indecent assault and the jury was hung on one charge of indecent assault. On 2 May 2014, Clifford was sentenced to eight years imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court.

A man in his sixties unnamed at the time, later reported to be former BBC chauffeur David Smith, was arrested in London on 10 December. Smith was the first suspect to be charged in the investigation, on 3 April. Smith was found dead (suicide) on 28 October 2013, after failing to appear for a court appearance.

An eighth man, former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, was arrested on 19 December. On 14 May 2013, it was reported that Beston would not face prosecution due to insufficient evidence.

Comedian Jim Davidson and DJ Mike Osman were arrested on 2 January 2013. Another man, aged 65, was arrested in south London on 5 February. It was later announced that Davidson and Osman would face no further action.

In late November 2012 an unnamed man in his 80s was questioned by the Metropolitan Police and his Berkshire house was searched. He was arrested in Berkshire on 28 March 2013. On 19 April this was stated by the BBC and other media sources to be Rolf Harris. On 29 August Harris was charged with 13 separate offences relating to the abuse of minors. On 23 December 2013, Harris was charged with 3 further separate sexual assault charges which are against females aged 19 in 1984, aged seven or eight in 1968 or 1969, and aged 14 in 1975.

Another unnamed man, aged 65, was arrested in Somerset on 4 April. On 16 October it was confirmed he would not be prosecuted. Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck was arrested by North Yorkshire Police after an Operation Yewtree file was passed to them concerning a claim he sexually abused a young boy in the 1970s.

Two unnamed men aged 64 and 74 were arrested on 29 October at separate addresses in South London, on 1 November 2013, it was reported that BBC broadcaster Paul Gambaccini was the 64 year old man arrested on suspicion of historical sexual offences as part of Operation Yewtree. His spokesman said that he denied the allegations.

On 17 December 2013, Dr Michael Salmon, aged 78, who worked at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital where Savile allegedly abused some of his victims, was accused of assaulting four girls under the age of 16 between 1972 and 1985, including one count of rape.

On 8 April 2014, an unnamed 73 year old man was arrested in North London on suspicion of sexual offences.

External links

• No justice system for old men

• Former BBC driver David Smith found dead after failing to show in court

• Operation Yewtree (Wikipedia)

• The moral lynching of Barbara Hewson

• Yewtree is destroying the rule of law

• Is this justice, or naming and shaming?

• Can you see what they did yet?

• Operation Yewtree: putting the past on trial
• Freddie Starr vows to bring Operation Yewtree 'down on its knees' after fourth arrest over historical sex abuse claims

• Hail, an improbable age of consent heroine!

• Clifford is a creep, but what’s that got to do with Savile?