Britain Shamed By At Least 2,000 Alleged Sexual Abuse Victims Since Jimmy Savile Scandal

Great Britain has been shamed after at least 2,000 alleged sexual abuse victims, including numerous high profile celebrities, came forward to police in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

When the allegations were revealed about the late Jimmy Savile, a man known in his life for his amazing contribution to charity — mainly children’s charities — the nation was in shock.

The fact that over 60 active police inquiries are afoot since then, with thousands of alleged victims coming forward over abuse allegations at the hands of celebrities and educators, is very telling.

For now, major investigations related to beatings in schools, children’s homes, and churches dating back to the 1950s are in progress.

The police force in Britain is battling a 20 percent cut in its funding while attempting to deal with increased rates of online crime and terrorism; the abuse investigations are reportedly putting a huge strain on resources.

Simon Bailey, who is co-ordinating the police’s hard work, told reporters about the challenges ahead.

“We have done a huge amount in recent years to tackle sexual abuse of children. We have responded to criticism, risen to the challenge and changed the way we engage with victims and how we investigate abuse. As a result, many, many more victims have found the confidence to report abuse. This means we are dealing with an unprecedented number of investigations. Not only is this a financial challenge, it is a challenge for the police service in terms of expertise and numbers of trained and experienced personnel we need.”

Bailey added that because so much of the alleged abuse was carried out by family members, it’s almost impossible to compile evidence sufficient to make a case.

Shockingly, at least 23 police forces in England and Wales, as well as the country’s National Crime Agency, are working on decades-old cases in a bid to bring the perpetrators of the crimes to justice.

The fact that 133 arrests have been made in the past few years goes to show that, despite the strain on resources, the police in Britain are making some progress in catching up with those who thought they got away with abuse all those years ago.

[Image credit: opobnews.com]