Freddie
Starr has been arrested by police investigating claims he molested a schoolgirl
in Jimmy Savile's BBC dressing room. The 69-year-old comedian was taken into
custody at a police station near his home in Warwickshire. He has previously
denied claims by a woman called Karin Ward that he tried to grope her in 1974
when she was a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
Denial: Freddie Starr, 69, recently on ITV's This Morning appeared alongside girlfriend Sophie Lea, 34, to deny he had any involvement in the scandal
It is currently unknown who made the allegation of sex offences against
Freddie Starr which led to his arrest today. He is the second celebrity to be
arrested after Gary Glitter was questioned for 10 hours last Sunday on
suspicion of committing sexual offences. Detectives investigating Savile
revealed last week they had drawn up an arrest list of living people who could
be questioned about allegations made by victims of Savile or his accomplices.
They warned: 'We will come for you.'
Last night a Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Officers working on
Operation Yewtree have this evening arrested a man in his 60s in connection
with the investigation. 'The man, from Warwickshire, was arrested at
approximately 5.45pm on suspicion of sexual offences, and has been taken into
police custody locally. 'The individual falls under the strand of the
investigation we have termed "Savile and others".'
Starr announced a week ago he was prepared to speak to police about the
allegations to clear his name. He said: 'Ask me anything - anything. I'll be
interviewed by any police force.' He has repeatedly denied claims he groped
Miss Ward.
Starr is the second celebrity to be arrested after Gary Glitter was questioned for 10 hours last Sunday on suspicion of committing sexual offences.
Appearing on ITV News with his 34-year-old fiancee Sophie Lea, Starr
insisted he had never abused underage girls, and said he had hired private
detectives to prove his innocence. He initially denied ever meeting his accuser,
or appearing with her on Savile's 1974 BBC show Clunk Click, but footage later
emerged showing him and Miss Ward in the same shot. Miss Ward has claimed: 'I
was horribly, horribly humiliated by Freddie Starr, who had a very bad attack
of wandering hands and had groped me, and I didn't like him because he smelled
like my step-father and it frightened me and freaked me out, and I rebuffed
him.'
Starr has previously denied claims by a woman called Karin Ward that he tried to grope her in 1974 when she was a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
It prompted Starr to seek an injunction to prevent the claims being
aired, but his High Court application was rejected. He later invited reporters
into his home and told them the woman was 'a nutter' and accused her of
'picking my name out of a hat'. He said:
'I've never touched an under-age girl in my life.' PR guru Max Clifford has
claimed dozens of big-name stars from the 1960s and 70s have contacted him
because they are 'frightened' they will become implicated in the widening child
abuse scandal.
Savile, who died last year at the age of 84, has been described as one
of the most prolific sex offenders in UK history. Police are following more
than 400 leads into Savile, who left at least 300 victims over a four-decade
rampage of child abuse. Others thought vulnerable to arrest include a former
BBC employee who was a close associate of Savile's. The Mail revealed four
weeks ago how he allegedly 'procured' girls for the star, and has also been
accused of committing rape himself, on BBC premises.
Prolific: Savile (left) has been described by police 'one of the most prolific sex offenders' they have dealt with. Gary Glitter (right) was the first to be arrested in Operation Yewtree - the name of the Met Police investigation into 'Savile and others
'
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Savile's victims are to sue the star's estate to get answers and
compensation and to 'move on with their lives', a lawyer said yesterday. Liz
Dux, who is representing more than 20 people who claim to have been sexually
assaulted, said some had not been able to form adult relationships since the
attacks. She said: 'Their main objective is to get answers as to why their previous
complaints weren't listened to, to get some sort of compensation and to move on
with their lives. 'None of them have asked how much they are going to get. Most
are pleased to have someone they can get it off their chest to. They want to
have some sort of recognition and to be believed.'
The victims will be suing Savile's £4million estate, which has been
frozen, and organisations such as the BBC, which allowed the alleged abuse to
occur. Miss Dux, from Russell, Jones & Walker, said the amount the victims
are entitled to depends on the severity of the assault and the financial and
psychological impact it had on their lives. She said the case will not go to
court until the outcome of the police investigation is known.
Source: Daily Mail UK
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