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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Paul Daniels questions whether all Savile accusers 'are for real' | Paul Daniels questions whether all Savile accusers 'are for real' |
| (4 months later) | |
| The magician Paul Daniels has written of kissing a schoolgirl hitch-hiker and various encounters with teenage "groupies" in the 1970s and questioned whether some of Jimmy Savile's accusers "are for real". | The magician Paul Daniels has written of kissing a schoolgirl hitch-hiker and various encounters with teenage "groupies" in the 1970s and questioned whether some of Jimmy Savile's accusers "are for real". |
| The 74-year-old wrote he had forced one girl out of his car and fled with his lights off after learning that the she was still at school in a "confession" according to reports of a blog, since removed, on his website. | The 74-year-old wrote he had forced one girl out of his car and fled with his lights off after learning that the she was still at school in a "confession" according to reports of a blog, since removed, on his website. |
| Suggesting it was "impossible" to tell the age of girls and young women in their "super-short mini-skirts, teetering high heels and slap [make up]" he said: "Did I have such a life? Yes. I would be lying if I said I didn't. Were they all over 16? OMG I hope so. | Suggesting it was "impossible" to tell the age of girls and young women in their "super-short mini-skirts, teetering high heels and slap [make up]" he said: "Did I have such a life? Yes. I would be lying if I said I didn't. Were they all over 16? OMG I hope so. |
| "Can I remember them? No. Life back then was a blur, and therein lies a major problem with what is going on now," said Daniels. | "Can I remember them? No. Life back then was a blur, and therein lies a major problem with what is going on now," said Daniels. |
| "It was 35 – 40 years ago. How the hell can you say you did or you didn't? Anyone can come along and claim to have been 'abused' by anyone they care to name." | "It was 35 – 40 years ago. How the hell can you say you did or you didn't? Anyone can come along and claim to have been 'abused' by anyone they care to name." |
| Savile was undoubtedly "a bad guy", said Daniels, before adding: "But I have been wondering if all of the accusers are for real. I can fully understand some women not wanting to talk about what happened to them, but for over 400 of them to keep quiet for 40 years seems strange. If they have truly suffered in silence for all that time then I am truly sorry if they read this and it upsets them." | Savile was undoubtedly "a bad guy", said Daniels, before adding: "But I have been wondering if all of the accusers are for real. I can fully understand some women not wanting to talk about what happened to them, but for over 400 of them to keep quiet for 40 years seems strange. If they have truly suffered in silence for all that time then I am truly sorry if they read this and it upsets them." |
| A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman on Monday said officers on Operation Yewtree, the sex abuse inquiry, were "not prepared to discuss" whether they were investigating Daniels' comments, which reportedly were published last week. They were reprinted in the Sun and Daily Mail but now appear to have been removed from his website. | A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman on Monday said officers on Operation Yewtree, the sex abuse inquiry, were "not prepared to discuss" whether they were investigating Daniels' comments, which reportedly were published last week. They were reprinted in the Sun and Daily Mail but now appear to have been removed from his website. |
| The NSPCC, the charity which aims to protect children from abuse, challenged Daniels' suggestion it was "strange" for people to wait so long before coming forward. | The NSPCC, the charity which aims to protect children from abuse, challenged Daniels' suggestion it was "strange" for people to wait so long before coming forward. |
| "Accusations of sexual offences must always be taken seriously and fully investigated no matter how long ago they were. Victims often find it very difficult to speak out and may therefore not report offences for years or even decades," said its spokesperson. | "Accusations of sexual offences must always be taken seriously and fully investigated no matter how long ago they were. Victims often find it very difficult to speak out and may therefore not report offences for years or even decades," said its spokesperson. |
| "But there was never a time when abuse such as that suffered by Savile's victims was considered acceptable. We must all be supportive of those who have now taken the difficult step of speaking out and their accusations must be fully investigated." | "But there was never a time when abuse such as that suffered by Savile's victims was considered acceptable. We must all be supportive of those who have now taken the difficult step of speaking out and their accusations must be fully investigated." |
| Daniels' account of his own encounter with the schoolgirl said he was driving home from a show when he was 30, and saw her thumbing a lift. | Daniels' account of his own encounter with the schoolgirl said he was driving home from a show when he was 30, and saw her thumbing a lift. |
| In the car, "the more than slightly tiddly girl moaned on about her boyfriend ignoring her in the pub that night and that she would get her own back on him". | In the car, "the more than slightly tiddly girl moaned on about her boyfriend ignoring her in the pub that night and that she would get her own back on him". |
| "Oh goodie for me I thought," wrote Daniels. | "Oh goodie for me I thought," wrote Daniels. |
| When he dropped her off, "I kissed her goodnight and it got a bit more passionate. Thank God it didn't get TOO passionate because something she said sent a shiver down my spine..... Another question and she said she was still at school. I had her out of the car as fast as I could and I drove off with the lights off so she couldn't see my number plate!" | When he dropped her off, "I kissed her goodnight and it got a bit more passionate. Thank God it didn't get TOO passionate because something she said sent a shiver down my spine..... Another question and she said she was still at school. I had her out of the car as fast as I could and I drove off with the lights off so she couldn't see my number plate!" |
| Daniels said he felt sick and terrified, "but maybe that scare was a good thing 'cos from then on I would always talk about their jobs or whatever before anything went too far". | Daniels said he felt sick and terrified, "but maybe that scare was a good thing 'cos from then on I would always talk about their jobs or whatever before anything went too far". |
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