Police link Leonard Rossiter to BBC sex abuse

Operation Yewtree officers are now investigating claims that Leonard Rossiter was involved in abuse on the set of “The Year of the Sex Olympics."

13:12 23 June 2014

Operation Yewtree offices – whose inquiries were sparked by the Jimmy Savile revelations, are now investigating claims that Leonard Rossiter, who died in 1984, was involved in abuse on the set of the 1968 drama, The Year of the Sex Olympics. The police are set to question up to ten former BBC staff over the allegations. The complainant is a 66-year-old who was extra at the time of filming at London Television Centre. 

 

The alleged victim, who was 18-years-old at the time of the incident, said that he was assaulted twice by three men – with the second attack involving Rossiter as an excited spectator. 

 

The man said: ‘In the rehearsal room, one BBC man tightly held my wrists while two others were behind me trying to rape me. I was the victim of two assaults. 

 

‘The second time they obviously tipped off Leonard Rossiter because while I was struggling and shouting for help he was in the room.

 

‘He obviously found it all a big turn-on. He was watching with glee. The staff who attacked me were animals and thought they could get away with anything.’

 

He added that he found a female victim after the attack. ‘She looked really upset and I asked her what was wrong. She said: “It’s like a f****** orgy in there - I didn’t come here to get f*****”.

 

The man added that he, together with the female victim, reported the attack to someone senior at the Beeb. 

 

‘I remember them saying, “If you pursue this you will never work for the BBC again.” 

 

‘It was disgusting but we were both young and feared for our careers. The woman was too distressed to continue that day, so filming was cut short.