Olly Lambert
Award-winning director Olly Lambert is to tackle the aftermath of the Savile revelations in a documentary for BBC One.
Abused:The Untold Story is a 90-minute documentary which will give a voice to those individuals who have been affected by child sexual abuse over the last 50 years, and uncover the long-term impact it has had on the rest of their lives.
Lambert, who started his career in Durham after graduating from the university in the city, is making the documentary with Minnow Films and will examine the cultural impact of the crimes exposed by Operation Yewtree and explain how they marked a real shift in our understanding of child sexual abuse.
He said: “The revelations about Savile and the launch of operation Yewtree marked a watershed moment in our cultural understanding of child sexual abuse. What is now being revealed is not just the shocking events themselves, but the extraordinary and complex ways in which they have shaped entire lives.”
At least 140 people claim they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the predatory entertainer Jimmy Savile with the Metropolitan Police recording 200 separate offences.
Savile died in October 2011 at the age of 84 before being unmasked as a prolific paedophile.
The film will feature exclusive interviews with many individuals who reveal their deeply personal stories for the very first time, including their families and the professionals who have supported the survivors in coming forward as part of Operation Yewtree. Exploring the profound impact of their experiences on the individuals involved and on society as a whole, the film will shine a light on the crimes and explore how and why they were allowed to happen in our society for so long.
Controller of BBC One, Charlotte Moore, who commissioned Abused:The Untold Story, said: “This important BBC One documentary will give a voice to those who have lived through sexual abuse and finally feel brave enough to speak out. This is a timely and meaningful subject that matters, a story of our time that has fundamentally changed the way we deal with abuse in modern society. We need to understand it to expose it.”
