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| BBC 'must act' over reporter who killed himself after harassment complaints | BBC 'must act' over reporter who killed himself after harassment complaints |
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| The father of a BBC journalist who killed himself after complaining about harassment has called for the corporation to take action against employees who mishandled his concerns. | The father of a BBC journalist who killed himself after complaining about harassment has called for the corporation to take action against employees who mishandled his concerns. |
| Peter Joslin said the BBC should "hold responsible" individuals found by a damning internal report to have bungled complaints made by his son Russell, a BBC Coventry and Warwickshire local radio journalist who killed himself in October 2012. | |
| "What I would like to see is those people held responsible for the mistakes they made," Joslin told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday. "They're holding positions where perhaps they might not have learnt lessons and I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else." | "What I would like to see is those people held responsible for the mistakes they made," Joslin told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday. "They're holding positions where perhaps they might not have learnt lessons and I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else." |
| A BBC inquiry into Joslin's death published in March found that the corporation mishandled allegations, including one of sexual harassment, made by Joslin about his colleague. | A BBC inquiry into Joslin's death published in March found that the corporation mishandled allegations, including one of sexual harassment, made by Joslin about his colleague. |
| Joslin, 79, said his son had filed a formal complaint of bullying and harassment on 11 October last year, 11 days before he killed himself. | Joslin, 79, said his son had filed a formal complaint of bullying and harassment on 11 October last year, 11 days before he killed himself. |
| "He was a very strong character but he was frightened that if pressure were put on and if things were said and done about it, it might cause him to lose his job, then he would be very worried indeed," he told Radio 5 Live. | "He was a very strong character but he was frightened that if pressure were put on and if things were said and done about it, it might cause him to lose his job, then he would be very worried indeed," he told Radio 5 Live. |
| Joslin, a retired chief constable, said he could not understand why the colleague accused of bullying has never been formally identified. | |
| "I'm the longest-serving police officer in the country – for 44 years I served with Warwickshire police – and I cannot understand why this is so. I assume there must be reasons within the media I don't understand," he said. | "I'm the longest-serving police officer in the country – for 44 years I served with Warwickshire police – and I cannot understand why this is so. I assume there must be reasons within the media I don't understand," he said. |
| Asked whether he believed libel laws had prevented media outlets naming the person, Joslin said: "Well, yes." | Asked whether he believed libel laws had prevented media outlets naming the person, Joslin said: "Well, yes." |
| The BBC on Tuesday refused to say whether it had taken disciplinary action against the individual or any employee found to have mishandled Joslin's complaints. A seperate internal investigation into Joslin's death found "there was evidence that the standards of behaviour we expect were not adhered to", but that there were no grounds for proceeding with an allegation of sexual harassment or bullying. | The BBC on Tuesday refused to say whether it had taken disciplinary action against the individual or any employee found to have mishandled Joslin's complaints. A seperate internal investigation into Joslin's death found "there was evidence that the standards of behaviour we expect were not adhered to", but that there were no grounds for proceeding with an allegation of sexual harassment or bullying. |
| He added: "What broke him in the end was that they said there had been no original complaint. He knew there was because he'd made sure it was there." | He added: "What broke him in the end was that they said there had been no original complaint. He knew there was because he'd made sure it was there." |
| The BBC said it has taken a number of steps to address failings exposed by Joslin's death, including opening a confidential bullying hotline and improved training for managers in harassment and mental health. | The BBC said it has taken a number of steps to address failings exposed by Joslin's death, including opening a confidential bullying hotline and improved training for managers in harassment and mental health. |
| The corporation added in a statement: "Russell Joslin was a respected and much-loved member of the team at Radio Coventry and Warwickshire. He is greatly missed. The BBC extends our deepest condolences to Russell's family, friends and colleagues. We apologised unreservedly at the time of the Granger report at the way the BBC handled Russell's concerns and we apologise again today to Russell's family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. | The corporation added in a statement: "Russell Joslin was a respected and much-loved member of the team at Radio Coventry and Warwickshire. He is greatly missed. The BBC extends our deepest condolences to Russell's family, friends and colleagues. We apologised unreservedly at the time of the Granger report at the way the BBC handled Russell's concerns and we apologise again today to Russell's family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. |
| "We have learnt lessons from this and we have made progress with the recommendations outlined in Lesley Granger's report but we recognise that this is an ongoing process. The BBC would like to assure Russell's family that we remain absolutely committed to implementing these improvements." | "We have learnt lessons from this and we have made progress with the recommendations outlined in Lesley Granger's report but we recognise that this is an ongoing process. The BBC would like to assure Russell's family that we remain absolutely committed to implementing these improvements." |
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