Compensation Claims On The Horizon In The Jimmy Savile Case

With calls of complaints made to the BBC topping 6000, and numerous victims making contact with lawyers all over the country, Natwest have frozen Jimmy Savile's assets in preparation for a compensation claim flood, reports the Guardian.

Alan Collins was one of the solicitors employed in the Jersey child abuse case a few years ago, meaning that he has been considered suitable for Savile victims to contact, around 20 of whom have already done so. Additionally, an expert in child abuse cases, Liz Dux, has revealed that she's in touch with 30 of the alleged victims. The cases that are currently set to go forward against the BBC and others are for "vicarious liability".

Because of the expected enormous financial fall out from these claims - not least for the compensation that will need to be awarded, but also the legal fees - Savile's £4m estate has been frozen by Natwest, who are acting as the estate's exector. This potentially means that the charity, the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust, which has done a lot of good work before and since Savile's death, may not get the £600,000 left to it in his will. A spokesperson for them was quoted to say: "Obviously any claim against the estate potentially reduces the amount going to the charity, and that in turn reduces the amount going to charitable/good causes. Even if the claims don't succeed, the legal costs of defending the claims will come from the funds due to the charity." They added, "Unfortunately it is very difficult to know at the current time how long it will take before the estate can be 'unfrozen' and distributed. We will be liaising with NatWest, the executors, to see how best to proceed." As more reports come in regarding the case, the numbers of those affected continues to expand.