Timeline: Allegations towards BBC newsreader Huw Edwards
T
he spouse of newsreader Huw Edwards has revealed he was the presenter in the midst of the BBC scandal.
Vicky Flind mentioned her husband was in hospital “suffering from serious mental health issues” after dealing with allegations over funds for sexually express pictures.
However, the younger particular person on the centre of the controversy mentioned nothing inappropriate occurred, whereas the Metropolitan Police introduced on Wednesday night that no felony offence had been dedicated.
Here is how occasions have unfolded:
– May 18
The complainant, a member of the family, attended a BBC constructing, the place they sought to make a grievance concerning the behaviour of Mr Edwards who initially was not publicly named and was referred to solely as a “BBC presenter”.
– May 19
The complainant contacted BBC Audience Services and the main points of this contact have been referred to the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team.
The BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team assessed the knowledge contained within the grievance offered from Audience Services.
The evaluation made was that on the idea of the knowledge offered, it didn’t embrace an allegation of criminality – however nonetheless merited additional investigation.
The BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team emailed the complainant stating how severely the BBC takes the problem and in search of extra info to confirm the claims being made; there was no response to this contact.
Checks have been additionally made to confirm the id of the complainant. The BBC mentioned it is a commonplace process to substantiate that the complainant is the particular person they are saying they’re.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme with broadcaster Sarah Montague, director-general Tim Davie spoke concerning the preliminary grievance made to the company.
He mentioned: “The facts are there that very simply the Corporate Investigations Team looked at the log – that is the summary of the call – we have clear records of an interaction that lasted 29 minutes.”
– June 6
Having obtained no response to the e-mail referenced above, a telephone name was made to the cellular quantity offered by the complainant by the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team; the decision didn’t join.
Following these makes an attempt to make contact with the complainant, the Corporate Investigations Team was attributable to return to the matter within the coming weeks.
No extra makes an attempt to contact the complainant have been made after June 6, nevertheless the case remained open all through.
– July 6
The Sun newspaper knowledgeable the BBC by way of the Corporate Press Office of allegations regarding Mr Edwards.
The BBC mentioned it grew to become clear that the supply of the claims was from the identical household as approached the BBC on May 18-19.
This was the primary time that the director-general or any govt administrators on the BBC have been conscious of the case.
The claims made by The Sun contained new allegations that have been completely different to the issues being thought-about by BBC Corporate Investigations.
When requested concerning the distinction between the grievance on May 19 and the grievance made in The Sun story, Mr Davie mentioned: “The process is that we did receive a call as you can see in the timeline on May 19 that was taken by Audience Services Team who then make a summary of the call and put it to our highly experienced Corporate Investigations team.
“On the basis of the information they had at that point, it did not include an allegation of criminality, but nonetheless was very serious and they wanted to follow it up, and you can see the attempts to follow it up on the timeline.
“It was serious but the key was their assessment was it did not include an allegation of criminality.
“When The Sun made new allegations on July 6 they were different to the matters considered by BBC Corporate Investigations and those new allegations clearly related to potential criminal activity, criminality, that in a nutshell is the difference.”
The BBC initiated an incident administration group to steer the response to this case, involving senior BBC executives together with the director-general.
The performing chairman was up to date, and the board was commonly up to date within the coming days.
A senior supervisor held the primary dialog on this matter with the presenter involved, to make him conscious of the claims being outlined by The Sun.
It was agreed that Mr Edwards wouldn’t be on air whereas this matter was being thought-about.
Mr Davie additionally instructed the World At One he didn’t converse to the accused presenter on July 6, however as an alternative the dialog was performed by a “senior manager”, which the director-general mentioned was necessary to ensure that him to have the ability to oversee the method.
– July 7
Following The Sun’s contact, the BBC’s Corporate Investigations group contacted the complainant once more, who was in contact with the BBC’s investigators.
The BBC’s Serious Case Management Framework (SCMF) was initiated and the investigation being undertaken by the Corporate Investigations Team was introduced into the SCMF, which is chaired by a human assets director.
The BBC additionally made contact with the police with regard to this matter.
– July 8
The complainant despatched the BBC some supplies associated to the grievance.
– July 9
The complainant continued to ship the BBC supplies to do with the grievance.
The BBC issued an replace to workers and the media. The broadcaster additionally confirmed that it had suspended Mr Edwards.
– July 10
The BBC met with the police to report the matter and talk about how you can progress the investigation.
The police requested that the BBC pause its investigations into the allegations whereas they scope future work.
– July 11
The BBC reported a second particular person felt threatened by messages they obtained from Mr Edwards.
According to the BBC, the particular person of their early 20s met Mr Edwards on a courting app earlier than their conversations moved to different platforms.
He then revealed his id and requested the younger particular person to not inform anybody.
The younger particular person later posted on-line alluding to having had contact with a BBC presenter and hinting they may identify him.
Mr Edwards then despatched plenty of “threatening messages”, which the BBC says it has seen and confirmed got here from a telephone quantity belonging to him.
The BBC mentioned the younger particular person felt “threatened” by the messages and “remains scared”.
BBC News mentioned it had contacted the Mr Edwards by way of his lawyer, however had obtained no response to the allegations.
– July 12
Broadcaster Jeremy Vine known as on Mr Edwards to call himself publicly to stop injury to the “BBC, his friends and those falsely-accused”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned that he “personally was concerned” by the “serious” allegations.
Vicky Flind, the spouse of Mr Edwards, points a press release naming her husband as the person concerned.
She mentioned that he “was suffering from serious mental health issues” and is now “receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future” as she requested for privateness for her household.
The Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police say that no felony offence has been dedicated by Mr Edwards and neither drive would at present be taking any additional motion in relation to the allegations.
The BBC pronounces it’s going to resume its “fact-finding investigations” to make sure “due process and a thorough assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved”.
BBC Newsnight later studies new claims from one present and one former BBC employee, who mentioned they’d obtained “inappropriate messages” from Edwards, “some late at night and signed off with kisses”.
According to Newsnight, each mentioned there was “a reluctance among junior staff to complain to managers about the conduct of high-profile colleagues in case it adversely affected their careers”.