Jimmy Savile,
the disgraced British television personality the authorities say
sexually abused dozens of victims over more than two decades, died
before he could be prosecuted. But new data released this week by the police
suggests that revelations about his catalog of sexual misconduct have
helped transform the attitudes of many victims and also led to a greater
willingness to report abuse.
The
British police are investigating more than 1,400 people, among them 261
high-profile figures, including celebrities and politicians, who face
accusations of child abuse in the past, according to a report released
on Wednesday. The report was presented as part of Operation Hydrant by
the National Police Chiefs’ Council,
a group of law enforcement officials who are collecting data about
“allegations of nonrecent child sexual abuse within institutions or by
people of public prominence.”