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Abuse calls rise after Savile

A rape crisis hotline has reported a "huge" rise in the number of calls received after Jimmy Savile's lifetime of sexual abuse was revealed. The national hotline received 78,000 calls since Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile was shown on ITV.

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Charity: Savile has shown how little rape is reported

The Jimmy Savile scandal has "reinforced" evidence a large amount of rape goes unreported, a victim's charity has warned.

Rape Crisis spokeswoman Katie Russell was speaking after a national hotline for rape and sexual assault victims recorded a "huge" rise in calls in the year after Savile's abuse was revealed.

Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile detailed claims from women dating to the 1970s, including allegations that Savile abused girls in his Rolls-Royce and at BBC TV Centre.

Shocking as the revelations of the last year have been, they've reinforced what we within the Rape Crisis movement have learnt through our 40 years' experience of providing specialist support to women and girls - that sexual violence sadly happens a lot more than most people think, and that the impacts for the survivor can be devastating and lifelong...

This is reflected in the fact that 450 survivors have reported Savile since his death, while only four felt able to during his lifetime.

– Rape Crisis spokeswoman Katie Russell

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