London -
Jimmy Savile's older brother Johnny “most probably” sexually assaulted seven women - five of whom were patients - at Springfield Hospital in south-west London between 1978 and 1980, according to a separate report published yesterday.
Johnny Savile, who died in 1998, worked as a recreation officer at Springfield in the late 1970s up to his dismissal in 1980 for gross misconduct, a decision later upheld at an employment tribunal.
All the alleged victims, including one visitor and one staff member, were adult females.
Former Springfield staff told investigators Johnny Savile had “unprofessionally friendly relationships” with some colleagues and that he tried to use his celebrity by association to gain status in the hospital.
Johnny Savile also contributed to the hospital radio station and used access to this to try to gain sexual favours from female patients, officials were told.
Investigators found the claims of rape and other sexual assault either did occur or were “likely” or “most likely” to have occurred.
Their report concluded: “While there is scant corroborative evidence for many of the individual allegations, they add up to a credible picture that Johnny Savile misused local celebrity status to exploit vulnerable patients as well as others.”
Investigators found nothing to link Jimmy Savile with Springfield or any other sites now under the control of South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
The report said: “Johnny Savile was in a post that gave him access to a very vulnerable patient group and the investigators believe he was able to use his 'status' to persuade patients and staff to do what he wanted.”
The Trust said it was committed to helping anyone who had been subject to “inappropriate and unwanted attention from Johnny Savile”.
The Trust said it would review its current policies for volunteers, visitors and VIPs.
In the Stoke Mandeville inquiry, also published yesterday, one of Jimmy Savile's victims recalled: “Savile's brother [uncertain which one] used to wander around the hospital also dressed in a tracksuit.”
HOSPITAL BY HOSPITAL JIMMY SAVILE'S CRIMES
A total of 44 reports into Savile's behaviour at NHS premises have now been released, with 28 published in June.
Other reports released on Thursday found he also behaved inappropriately at high-security Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire and at Bensham Hospital in Gateshead.
Investigations into Savile's behaviour were undertaken at 41 hospitals, including the Royal Marsden, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor, as well as at a children's home, the ambulance service and a hospice.
Another found it was likely his older brother Johnny molested and possibly raped women at Springfield Hospital in south London.
The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told MPs the new reports were “extremely distressing”, with a total of 177 men and women coming forward with allegations of abuse covering a period from 1954 to shortly before Savile's death in 2011.
He said £40m will be made available from Savile's estate and charities for compensation claims from his victims.
Three new investigations are under way at Humber NHS Trust, Mersey Care NHS Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
The Independent