Download
A sex scandal gripping Britain's BBC deepened on Wednesday with claims that a pedophile ring had existed involving some of its stars, as its former director-general said his handling of the case shouldn't stop him becoming the boss of the New York Times.
The BBC has been thrown into disarray by accusations it helped cover up sexual abuse by one of its most celebrated former presenters, Jimmy Savile, and has struggled to explain why one of its own shows killed an investigation into it.
The broadcaster's current Director-General George Entwistle has been condemned for his handling of one of the worst crises in the corporation's 90-year history, and questions have also been raised about his predecessor Mark Thompson, who is set to take over at the New York Times next month.
The British government warned the BBC on Wednesday that the scandal was raising "very real concerns" about public trust.
"These allegations do leave many institutions, perhaps particularly the BBC, with serious questions to answer," Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament.
Police and the BBC, which is funded by the public through an annual license fee, are looking into allegations that the eccentric, cigar-chomping Savile, who died last year, abused young girls over six decades.
The BBC scandal has horrified Britain with revelations that Savile, a popular children's television presenter, cajoled and coerced vulnerable teens into having sex with him in his car, in his camper van and even in dingy dressing rooms on BBC premises. He is also accused of sexually assaulting disabled children at hospitals that he helped by raising charity funds.
Lawyers representing some of the male and female victims, some of whom were as young as 8 when the abuse occurred, said their clients had indicated that an organized pedophile ring involving other celebrities had existed at the BBC during the height of Savile's fame in the 1970s and 1980s.
"There is information of a possible pedophile ring, and we have people who have approached us with that information," said Alicia Alinia, one of the lead lawyers involved in the cases for the Slater and Gordon law firm. "It seems to be a number of people who were involved other than Jimmy Savile, I can't reveal any specific names of celebrities involved, but it seems as though it wasn't just limited to unknowns."
Earlier, the BBC said new allegations had been made against nine current BBC staff or contributors since revelations about Savile were first broadcast by rival British channel ITV.
These ranged from inappropriate language or behavior to harassment and serious claims of sexual assault.
The New York Times stood by its incoming chief on Wednesday, even as questions about the BBC child sex abuse scandal followed him from one of Britain's most respected news organizations to one of the US'.
And in Britain, a lawmaker said he had more questions for Thompson.
In a letter to a lawmaker and an interview with the Times, Thompson said he never knew of the Savile story before it was spiked and had never met the network's popular star.
New York Times spokesman Bob Christie said on Wednesday that the BBC scandal had "obviously been a topic that we've discussed" internally, but the Times was satisfied with Thompson's answers.
Thompson will start as the organization's CEO on Nov 12, Christie said.
Police say there could be more than 200 victims, leading one child protection charity to say that Savile could rank among Britain's most prolific child sex predators.
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:8(含解析)
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:3(含解析)
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题10 语法填空(含解析)
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:2(含解析)
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题9 特殊句式(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book4 Unit 10《money》
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题3 名词和主谓一致(含解析)
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:1(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book8 Unit 24《society》
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:5(含解析)
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题7 动词的时态和语态(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮复习配套练习:book8 Unit 23《conflict》(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book2 Unit 6《design》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book2 Unit 4《cyberspace》
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:4(含解析)
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题4 形容词和副词(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book3 Unit 8《adventure》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book5 Unit 15《learning》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book7 Unit 21《human biology》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book8 Unit 23《conflict》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book6 Unit 18《beauty》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book8 Unit 22《environmental protection》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book3 Unit 7《the sea》
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:6(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book3 Unit 9《wheels》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book4 Unit 12《culture shock》
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book7 Unit 20《new frontiers》
2017版【高考一本解决方案】高考英语(新课标版)考点题组训练:专题11 短文改错(含解析)
(豫皖京闽粤通用)2017届高考英语北师大版一轮自主复习学案:book5 Unit 13《people》
2017届贵州思南县中学高考英语一轮复习阅读理解精编:7(含解析)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |