'How dare he?': Jimmy Savile victim tells LBC she was furious over Boris remarks

1 February 2022, 17:36 | Updated: 1 February 2022, 17:41

A Jimmy Savile victim has told LBC that she was "furious" over Boris Johnson's jibes at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Boris Johnson made a baseless claim in the Commons on Monday that Sir Keir failed to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

The woman, known as "Miss A", said that she was 15 when she was raped by Savile in London in the late 1960s and he went on to repeatedly attack her over many years.

Speaking about Mr Johnson's comments, she said: "I was absolutely furious and, at the same time, I was really upset as well.

"I just thought: 'How dare he?'

The PM's Trumpian plan now links Starmer and Savile in the public conscience

She went on to say: "I thought this was a real cheap political issue against Keir Starmer and it was absolutely unnecessary.

"I was completely outraged by it – I was very upset by it – and I know other Savile victims still suffer life-long trauma from it as I do.

"To then have the Prime Minister say this on this particular issue and with all of these other things going around as well… I was just furious.

"It was just like he was using it as a flippant thing for other people’s purposes. The whole thing…it’s really upset me."

When asked if it brought any bad memories back, she said: "It triggered all the flashbacks, all the memories – it was absolutely horrendous.

"I can’t begin to tell you how upset I was hearing them talk about that. It was so unnecessary."

Miss A added: "If he were to revoke those comments totally - 100% - that would help.

"Maybe it might be a lesson to other people: please think of other victims of rape and sexual abuse. Think of them for a change, not just what you want to do."

Read more: Stinging rebuke from Speaker over Boris Johnson's Jimmy Savile slur in Commons

Read more: James O'Brien: Boris Johnson's Savile slur has no place in our democracy

Mr Johnson said in the Commons on Monday: "Instead this leader of the opposition - a former director of public prosecution who used his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile, as far as I can see - he chose to use this moment to continually pre-judge a police inquiry."

He saw a huge backlash from MPs, with Sir Keir describing the claim as a "ridiculous slur peddled by right-wing trolls".

Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle condemned the remark, saying "such allegations should not be made lightly".

He added: "I am far from satisfied that the comments in question were appropriate on this occasion."

Tory former Cabinet minister Julian Smith said the PM should withdraw the "false and baseless" comments.

Sir Keir was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, however, he was not thought to have been involved in decisions relating to sexual offence allegations against disgraced entertainer Savile.