A report published on Thursday alleged that the BBC repeatedly failed to stop television personalities DJ Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall from sexually abusing nearly 100 people for decades while they were employed at the broadcasting corporation. The report by former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith said that Savile (pictured above) sexually assaulted 57 females and 15 males from the late 1950s to mid-2000s, while identifying 21 of Hall's victims. "Three incidents of rape and attempted rape took place on BBC premises," said Dame Smith, who began the independent inquiry into the matter in October 2012.

Senior managers were not informed of complaints against Savile due to the fear of speaking out against “the talent”, the report said. However, BBC managers in Manchester had been aware of Hall’s misconduct, the review found. Dame Smith called Savile and Hall "serial sexual predators" and said the BBC missed five opportunities to stop their misconduct, which persisted for decades, reported CNN. She added that "an atmosphere of fear still exists today in the BBC possibly because obtaining work in the BBC is highly competitive and many people no longer have the security on an employment contract".

Allegations against Savile first surfaced in 2011, a year after his death. Hall pleaded guilty in 2013 to indecently assaulting 13 girls aged between nine and 17 years over a 20-year period. He was released from prison in December after serving half of a five-year jail term.