London: The head of Britain's Metropolitan Police says authorities and others failed to notice a pattern of behaviour that indicated that entertainer Jimmy Savile may have been sexually abusing young girls.
Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe says authorities did not "put together" the various claims against Savile, who died one year ago at the age of 84.
Hogan-Howe said today that the public may also have refrained from making complaints because of Savile's stature as a nationally known presenter of popular BBC children's TV shows.
The commissioner says that if reports of abuse are accurate, Savile was able to sexually abuse victims for 50 years. The late entertainer never faced criminal charges during his lifetime but has been disgraced by a series of damning reports this month.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 09:34