Paul Daniels Questions Jimmy Savile Victims, Accused of Belittlement

Paul Daniels Questions Jimmy Savile Victims, Accused of Belittlement

Paul Daniels has been "wondering if all of [Savile's] accusers are for real". And his claims have, inevitably, come under intense scrutiny from groups concerned with the people affected by the sex abuse scandal, The Telegraph reports. 

"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," explained Daniels. "What I do find odd about the stories now emerging however is when a "victim" went on TV and stated that she had gone back to the dressing room quite a few times. A bad guy? Undoubtedly, but I have been wondering if all the accusers are for real." Claude Knight, director of Kidscape, said of the magicians comments: "It is belittling and casting doubt on them, it is the last thing you need when you have found the courage to talk about it. I am worried about people trivialising something so serious."

Mark Williams Thomas - a former child protection officer - who was also involved in an ITV documentary which exposed Savile as a paedophile, said: "For someone like Paul Daniels to come out and belittle victim's evidence that's being given against Jimmy Savile is a disgrace because he [Savile] is proven to be an offender.

For a man who also wrote, "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," on his blog, coming out and publically questioning the accusers in possibly the biggest sex scandal in the U.K seems like a bad, bad idea. "Can I remember them? No," he continues, "Life back then was a blur, and therein lies a major problem with what is going on now. 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."