Broadcasters were today claimed to have failed to act on allegations about David Walliams grooming teenage girls as he continued to be on TV for many more years.
asserted
he → claim → years
TV agent Dermot McNamara said he had reported allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' against the actor to the authorities and broadcasters at the time.
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he → say → time
But he claimed nothing appeared to have been done, with Walliams allowed to remain on screen for 'many, many years' and 'be involved with other young people'.
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Walliams → claim → people
Walliams, 55, was named as part of an investigation by the media yesterday after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.
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he → name → him
Mr McNamara has represented someone allegedly groomed by the ex-Britain's Got Talent judge, who has been accused of sexual misconduct and abusing his power.
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who → represent → power
Another woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a 'sexual assault', while others accused him of 'grooming' them as teenagers.
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others → describe → teenagers
Mr McNamara told the BBC's Newsnight of his former client: 'She was 16 when she first met him.
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she → tell → him
He had followed her on social media and had invited her to Britain's Got Talent screenings, introduced her to the judges, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon.
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He → follow → judges
'There were photos, she was invited backstage with a group of friends of similar ages, still very young-looking.
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she → be → ages
David Walliams is accused of sexual misconduct and abusing his power to groom teenagers
TV agent Dermot McNamara told the BBC's Newsnight that he had reported allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' against Walliams to the authorities and broadcasters at the time
'
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he → accuse → time
Following on from that she was then invited along with another girl to his home where inappropriate behaviour happened - or, she feels inappropriate behaviour happened.'
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behaviour → follow → home
He said this had a 'profound effect on her mental health and her wellbeing', making it a 'struggle to see him in the media, still getting jobs, still being able to conduct himself in public life, raising money for charity, being allowed in people's classrooms, school rooms, children's bedrooms with his books'.
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it → say → books
Mr McNamara continued: 'I think the enablement around it all, how everyone was very scared to say anything about it, was real and true - and I know that was a frightening time for her and also many of the girls and women involved.'
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire then asked him: 'Did you report this?'
He replied: 'I reported it to authorities and broadcasters.'
Ms Derbyshire added: 'Did anything happen?'
Mr McNamara responded: 'Not that I'm aware of, no.
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I → continue → authorities
He was still on TV for many, many years - he was still allowed to, by the sounds of it, be involved with other young people.
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he → allow → people
Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
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Walliams → deny → wrongdoing
In a letter understood to have been sent several months ago by Walliams to journalists at ITV News and the Guardian working on the investigations, the television personality denied being a 'sexual predator'.
He said he recognised he 'behaved thoughtlessly' at times, and regretted not taking people's feelings 'properly into account', but insisted he had not broken the law.
The letter added: 'Whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.
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I → understand → that
Meanwhile comedian Lucy Beaumont said the TV industry needs better procedures for people to raise safeguarding issues as she revealed she was among people who spoke to the Guardian about allegations involving Walliams.
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who → say → Walliams
The 43-year-old said she raised concerns about Walliams after being told he was hosting teenage girls in his dressing room while working on a TV show and she was 'worried' about whether he had behaved inappropriately.
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he → say → show
Lucy Beaumont said the TV industry needs better procedures for people to raise safeguarding issues as she revealed she was among people who spoke to the media about Walliams
Beaumont discussed her response to the allegations involving Walliams while appearing on Sky News' The Cathy Newman Show yesterday, saying she 'wants to protect young women' in the TV industry.
'
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she → say → industry
I don't know Walliams, I haven't worked with him but, bizarrely, it's been a really strange day for me because, about three years ago, a young person – and it was their first job on TV – worked on a show he was on and the next show that they worked on was with me.
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they → know → me
They took me aside and said, 'I need to tell somebody something' and confided in me.
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I → take → me
Beaumont said the young person told her they had to 'take young girls' who were 'definitely' over 16 to Walliams' dressing room, adding: 'He felt they were vulnerable.'
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they → say → room
She added: 'At the time, he didn't think there was a process, a way to let people know within the TV company what was happening and how he felt and I was really worried.'
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I → add → company
The Hull-born star added: 'I did as much as I could do privately.
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I → bear → much
Whenever I've heard a rumour about anyone, I've done everything I can.
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I → hear → everything
There's only so much you can do.
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you → be → ?
Nothing seems to be illegal.
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Nothing → seem → ?
I was one of the people to let The Guardian know.'
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Guardian → let → people
Speaking about the TV industry, she added: 'There's no proper duty of care.
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she → speak → care
There's no social services that you deal with and it's partly because the industry is very well-managed.'
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industry → be → that
She added: 'These things slip through the net because, I think there will be now, but there hasn't been a process that you can deal with.'
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you → add → that
Beaumont said she had never worked with Walliams or witnessed any inappropriate behaviour from him but was 'worried that these girls were young'.
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girls → say → him
The comic said she reached out to an alleged victim who was 'in a really bad way' and was worried about her well-being but said the woman 'declined my offer of support'.
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woman → say → support
Lilly Creightmore told the BBC's Newsnight that she is 'angry' at David Walliams's behaviour
She said she did not know if the allegations were true but had wanted to help.
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allegations → tell → behaviour
Beaumont said she believed speaking out about her concerns might cost her TV work:
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speaking → say → work
'The reason high-profile people are not saying anything is because they lose work, because you're seen that you might be a trouble causer.
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you → say → work
It does need to be said that there needs to be some intervention.'
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It → need → ?
Beaumont started her career as a comedian in 2009 and is a vocal critic of misogyny, sexism, and inappropriate male behaviour on the UK comedy circuit and has also spoken about the impact this had on her career.
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this → start → career
She has previously discussed 'predatory' male behaviour in her industry and said people did not believe the women who were speaking up.
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who → discuss → women
Walliams has not yet responded to yesterday's reports that have named him as the subject of the allegations.
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that → respond → allegations
…and 70 more, not listed.
The Aporia
