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| Stuart Hall victim: my gut reaction is that I was set up | Stuart Hall victim: my gut reaction is that I was set up |
| (3 months later) | |
| Stuart Hall escaped justice over one of his catalogue of sex attacks on girls and young women because the assault took place outside Britain, according to one of his victims, who spoke of a struggle with the BBC presenter that she fears could have ended in her being raped. | Stuart Hall escaped justice over one of his catalogue of sex attacks on girls and young women because the assault took place outside Britain, according to one of his victims, who spoke of a struggle with the BBC presenter that she fears could have ended in her being raped. |
| She also thinks that members of Hall's entourage were complicit in the attack on a sunbathing terrace during the filming of a Jeux Sans Frontières final. The woman, a VIP guest of the BBC, is now one of a group of victims preparing to sue Hall for damages and compensation. | She also thinks that members of Hall's entourage were complicit in the attack on a sunbathing terrace during the filming of a Jeux Sans Frontières final. The woman, a VIP guest of the BBC, is now one of a group of victims preparing to sue Hall for damages and compensation. |
| Among them is another woman who allowed her allegation of rape to lie on file to save others from giving evidence in court. | Among them is another woman who allowed her allegation of rape to lie on file to save others from giving evidence in court. |
| Jayne – not her real name – said she was attacked on the day Hall presented that year's televised event. She believes she came within a few moments of being raped in her hotel bedroom. | Jayne – not her real name – said she was attacked on the day Hall presented that year's televised event. She believes she came within a few moments of being raped in her hotel bedroom. |
| Hall wedged his foot in the doorway following a violent struggle, but she managed to escape by slamming the door on him. He swore at her from the corridor but eventually left. | Hall wedged his foot in the doorway following a violent struggle, but she managed to escape by slamming the door on him. He swore at her from the corridor but eventually left. |
| Earlier that day, Hall, then in his fifties, had assaulted his 24-year-old victim while he forcibly applied sun tan lotion to her legs. | Earlier that day, Hall, then in his fifties, had assaulted his 24-year-old victim while he forcibly applied sun tan lotion to her legs. |
| His victim finally came forward last October by sending an email to George Entwistle, the then director general of the BBC. She suggested that while the corporation was investigating Jimmy Savile's crimes, they might take a look at Hall's "very predatory" behaviour. | His victim finally came forward last October by sending an email to George Entwistle, the then director general of the BBC. She suggested that while the corporation was investigating Jimmy Savile's crimes, they might take a look at Hall's "very predatory" behaviour. |
| Speaking to the Guardian, she said: "I didn't go into a lot of detail, but I said 'If this is a one-off then please ignore my email.' But then I got a phone call from someone at the BBC asking if I'd be willing to be interviewed by the police. Even then I was worried about sending some poor old man through the courts if it had been a one-off incident." | Speaking to the Guardian, she said: "I didn't go into a lot of detail, but I said 'If this is a one-off then please ignore my email.' But then I got a phone call from someone at the BBC asking if I'd be willing to be interviewed by the police. Even then I was worried about sending some poor old man through the courts if it had been a one-off incident." |
| However, Jayne, now married and living in London, learned that more and more women were coming forward. | However, Jayne, now married and living in London, learned that more and more women were coming forward. |
| She recalls her feeling of revulsion when Hall, 85, stood outside Preston Crown Court and made his now notorious claims of innocence. "I didn't see it until that night. I searched for it online and replayed it up to 20 times, over and over again, really just to make sure I was hearing right – that he was actually saying these things about his victims. | She recalls her feeling of revulsion when Hall, 85, stood outside Preston Crown Court and made his now notorious claims of innocence. "I didn't see it until that night. I searched for it online and replayed it up to 20 times, over and over again, really just to make sure I was hearing right – that he was actually saying these things about his victims. |
| "He's a wordsmith, a very manipulative wordsmith, and it was clear he'd carefully chosen those words like 'pernicious' and 'cruel', 'callous' and 'spurious', as weapons against us, to make us feel as bad as we could possibly feel at his hand." | "He's a wordsmith, a very manipulative wordsmith, and it was clear he'd carefully chosen those words like 'pernicious' and 'cruel', 'callous' and 'spurious', as weapons against us, to make us feel as bad as we could possibly feel at his hand." |
| Jayne was particularly keen to observe Hall's body language. She said: "When you view the footage, you can see that his head went to one side whenever he used one of those words. It doesn't take much of an amateur psychologist to know that he's lying through his teeth. | Jayne was particularly keen to observe Hall's body language. She said: "When you view the footage, you can see that his head went to one side whenever he used one of those words. It doesn't take much of an amateur psychologist to know that he's lying through his teeth. |
| "What I also observed was what I took to be the look of utter contempt on the face of his [then] solicitor, who was standing not beside him but behind him. He spoke about the support from his family, but none of them were actually there. I was absolutely and utterly nauseated to watch it all." | "What I also observed was what I took to be the look of utter contempt on the face of his [then] solicitor, who was standing not beside him but behind him. He spoke about the support from his family, but none of them were actually there. I was absolutely and utterly nauseated to watch it all." |
| However, Jayne said she was dismayed to learn that despite going "into the absolute detail" of her ordeal in a police interview, Hall could not be charged – because, the CPS told her, the incident had taken place outside the UK. | However, Jayne said she was dismayed to learn that despite going "into the absolute detail" of her ordeal in a police interview, Hall could not be charged – because, the CPS told her, the incident had taken place outside the UK. |
| "It was incredibly frustrating," she said. "All along I've understood intellectually why it had to be that way, but emotionally I thought it dreadful. | "It was incredibly frustrating," she said. "All along I've understood intellectually why it had to be that way, but emotionally I thought it dreadful. |
| "And I was still told I would have had to give bad character evidence against him had he pleaded not guilty. Maybe it's become another reason for wanting to take out the civil case against him, because it will finally give me closure and justice." | "And I was still told I would have had to give bad character evidence against him had he pleaded not guilty. Maybe it's become another reason for wanting to take out the civil case against him, because it will finally give me closure and justice." |
| As Hall continues his 15-month prison sentence for abusing girls as young as nine, Jayne said a programme of restorative justice would be "a far greater punishment" for him. | As Hall continues his 15-month prison sentence for abusing girls as young as nine, Jayne said a programme of restorative justice would be "a far greater punishment" for him. |
| She added: "I'd want to be able to talk to him direct, eye to eye, and to ask him some questions about what must have been going through his mind at the time. What did he really think about us as individuals? What made him believe that he could behave in such a way and that somehow it was OK? | She added: "I'd want to be able to talk to him direct, eye to eye, and to ask him some questions about what must have been going through his mind at the time. What did he really think about us as individuals? What made him believe that he could behave in such a way and that somehow it was OK? |
| "I think that would be far more punishing for him than being in the prison hospital with his heart complaint and his sinusitis." | "I think that would be far more punishing for him than being in the prison hospital with his heart complaint and his sinusitis." |
| Jayne, who was of slight build when she was pursued by Hall and looked "more like 18 or 19 than my actual age", recalled being invited to a sunbathing terrace by members of Hall's entourage on the morning of filming. | Jayne, who was of slight build when she was pursued by Hall and looked "more like 18 or 19 than my actual age", recalled being invited to a sunbathing terrace by members of Hall's entourage on the morning of filming. |
| "At the time I thought his attack on me was opportunistic," she said. "Now I think it was engineered, partly through his colleagues. I can't prove it, but my gut reaction is that I was set up. | "At the time I thought his attack on me was opportunistic," she said. "Now I think it was engineered, partly through his colleagues. I can't prove it, but my gut reaction is that I was set up. |
| "They all seemed to be sophisticated and witty. Stuart Hall was among them, but he didn't feature in my mind at all. The only thing I knew about him was that he was the presenter. | "They all seemed to be sophisticated and witty. Stuart Hall was among them, but he didn't feature in my mind at all. The only thing I knew about him was that he was the presenter. |
| "As the morning wore on the crew members started to disappear one by one and I was left completely alone with Hall. He was in swimming trunks and me in a bikini, and I started to feel uncomfortable when he pulled his sunbed up very close to mine." | "As the morning wore on the crew members started to disappear one by one and I was left completely alone with Hall. He was in swimming trunks and me in a bikini, and I started to feel uncomfortable when he pulled his sunbed up very close to mine." |
| Hall made an issue of "being there to look after me", and suggested they go for a swim. She declined the offer, and he then pressed her to allow him to apply lotion to her body. Again, she rejected the request. | Hall made an issue of "being there to look after me", and suggested they go for a swim. She declined the offer, and he then pressed her to allow him to apply lotion to her body. Again, she rejected the request. |
| Ignoring her protests, Hall towered over her and began to rub lotion into her legs. A moment later he carried out the assault, his victim propelling herself off the sunbed as she tried to escape. | Ignoring her protests, Hall towered over her and began to rub lotion into her legs. A moment later he carried out the assault, his victim propelling herself off the sunbed as she tried to escape. |
| Hall was apologetic and appeared genuinely contrite, and a short time later Jayne gave in to his request that they have a drink in the bar – acutely conscious that she was a guest of the BBC. Hall ordered Camparis and soda for them both. She drank two, he had several. | Hall was apologetic and appeared genuinely contrite, and a short time later Jayne gave in to his request that they have a drink in the bar – acutely conscious that she was a guest of the BBC. Hall ordered Camparis and soda for them both. She drank two, he had several. |
| When Hall became amorous for a second time, she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, gathered her things and headed towards her room. | When Hall became amorous for a second time, she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, gathered her things and headed towards her room. |
| The presenter followed her, eventually pinning her against the wall when she refused to open her door with him still there. "It was a physical attack," she said. "In court his barrister made great play of him showing aggression on only one or two occasions, but here he was trying to violently pin me up against the wall. I've never doubted that had he got into my room he would have raped me – or tried to." | The presenter followed her, eventually pinning her against the wall when she refused to open her door with him still there. "It was a physical attack," she said. "In court his barrister made great play of him showing aggression on only one or two occasions, but here he was trying to violently pin me up against the wall. I've never doubted that had he got into my room he would have raped me – or tried to." |
| Jayne believes Hall's colleagues colluded with him "because they, like some of his victims, were in awe of him". They saw him as a powerful man and wanted "some of his celebrity status and sense of power to rub off on them." She added: They disregarded some of their own sense of values for the sake of being part of his 'famous club'." | Jayne believes Hall's colleagues colluded with him "because they, like some of his victims, were in awe of him". They saw him as a powerful man and wanted "some of his celebrity status and sense of power to rub off on them." She added: They disregarded some of their own sense of values for the sake of being part of his 'famous club'." |
| Some incidental details have been changed to protect Jayne's identity | Some incidental details have been changed to protect Jayne's identity |
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