Entertainment
BBC must be investigated over handling of presenter allegations, MP insists-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro
‘I want them to get on with it.’
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Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said that future investigations might be needed to look into how the BBC handled recent allegations that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images.
The Cabinet minister reflected on his own role as a parent and warned that the allegations were ‘serious and concerning’.
He further outlined that he imagined a prompt and strong response would follow such claims and urged for the incident to be dealt with ‘quickly and fairly’.
Follow the latest news on the BBC presenter allegations over on Metro.co.uk’s live blog.
Speaking to Sky News, the Cabinet minister said: ‘These are very serious and concerning allegations. You ask me as a parent — I would be extremely concerned about that.
‘I think in fairness, I don’t know precisely what was said and at what time, but certainly you would expect allegations of that nature to be dealt with very robustly and promptly.
‘I think what we are now seeing today… and I understand there is going to be a meeting with the police, and that is absolutely right.
The MP said as a parent it was deeply ‘concerning’ (Picture: Getty Images)
He urged that things should be done ‘quickly’ for the victim involved (Picture: Getty Images)
‘And it may be that in the fullness of time there will need to be an investigation about how this allegation was handled. That is quite possible.
‘But right now I think it is important, in the interest of that victim, of that complainant, that this is dealt with as quickly and fairly and robustly as possible.’
The minister claimed suggestions the BBC allowed a presenter to stay on air despite allegations made that they paid a teenager for sexually explicit images were ‘astonishing’.
The Justice Secretary continued telling the outlet: ‘If that is right, then it is astonishing and you would have expected robust action to have been taken much more quickly.
‘I don’t know precisely what was said, and that is why there needs to be a full discussion of this in the fullness of time.’
The MP was commenting on their handling of the allegations (Picture: Getty Images)
His comments came amid news of a presenter paying for sexual images (Picture: Getty Images)
On the internal BBC investigation, he said: ‘I want them to get on with it.’
The Lord Chancellor weighed in on whether there was a public interest in naming the presenter and said a ‘full investigation’ was required before making that decision.
‘This is quite a difficult, nuanced legal issue. I’m not going to criticise them at this stage because it will depend on all sorts of things.
‘So, for example, if an allegation were made against you and it was of an extremely serious nature, then I don’t think it would necessarily be appropriate to name you immediately until there had been a full investigation.
‘And that is why, if I may say so, it is really important that time is of the essence because there is a public interest in this, I accept that.
‘But equally there is a public interest in ensuring that people aren’t defamed as well.
‘So it is a matter of fact and degree. Not every single immediate allegation would need to lead to that person being unmasked, so to speak.
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‘But the process does need to continue so there is sufficient detail in that investigation to potentially justify that important step.
‘Once the allegation is publicly made and that individual is unmasked, the consequences can be very serious, to say nothing of the potential legal knock-on implications.’
Metro.co.uk contacted the BBC for comment.
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