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Liisa Rohumaa on BBC Radio Solent

4 October 2012

Liisa Rohumaa, lecturer in online journalism at Bournemouth University, was part of a phone-in on BBC Radio Solent about a documentary which alleged TV star Jimmy Savile sexually abused young girls.

The discussion, on the station’s breakfast show, looked at whether the allegations were credible and what could happen next.

Liisa said that as Jimmy Savile died last year, no libel action could be taken against the ITV documentary Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile for the allegations about the presenter of programmes like Jim’ll Fix It and Top of the Pops, but she believed they were credible.

“You can say anything you like against a dead person, but I think actually looking at this investigation, there was clear evidence that there was something that was happening to these women,” she said.

“There were at least five victims who were interviewed, we know that there are others and also know that the police were contacted but didn’t take any action because one of the victims said ‘I can’t go through with this, this is Jimmy Savile’.

“We have to remember that Jimmy Savile in the 70s was just such a big TV star.”

She said that people think of the 1970s as an “age of innocence” but that the documentary highlighted that perhaps they were also an “age of ignorance and denial.”

She added: “I’m glad that all of these things are being discussed because parents and children can actually have these discussions and say if something seems wrong and a person in authority is hurting you or you don’t feel right about something, you as a child have a right to speak out.”

Liisa told presenter Julian Clegg that she felt that the documentary was “shocking” and “saddening”, but that her thoughts were with the women who alleged they were abused.

“I’m sure there will be more revelations but I am more concerned about these women now.

“They may not get criminal justice because Jimmy Savile is dead, but I think the truth does have to come out for those victims. Those victims do need to have their story told, and when that truth comes out, perhaps that might help them in some way and they may get some form of moral justice at the end of the day.

You can listen to the discussion for the next seven days on the BBC Radio Solent website.

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