Jimmy Savile abused relative at family parties (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Jimmy Savile abused relative at family parties

5:11pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News By Stuart Minting

JIMMY Savile’s great niece has told how the television personality sexually abused her in front of relatives at family parties.

Caroline Robinson, who lives near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, said while she believed no one saw the prolific fundraiser grope her, her grandmother maintained a silence after being alerted as Sir Jimmy bankrolled his sister’s lifestyle.

She said: “He was absolutely brazen. I believe he found it sexually gratifying to take risks. The thrill for him came in evading detection by the skin of his teeth.”

Mrs Robinson, 49, said she had been 12 when the Top of the Pops presenter attended a get-together and called her over to sit on his knee.

She said he spoke to her about her desire to meet The Bay City Rollers in hushed tones, to get her move close to him.

Mrs Robinson said she began to feel uncomfortable as the Radio 1 host stroked her back.

She said: “The more I wiggled, the more excited Jimmy got."

He then sexually assaulted her.

She said: "This was in a room full of people. Nobody saw. He got it down to perfection.

“I jumped up and I went out and I just cried. I just couldn't believe it. It was strange.

“I told my grandma, Jimmy's elder sister, who was sat opposite. She said 'It's only Jimmy, don't worry, I'll sort it out’."

Mrs Robinson, a horseracing fan, said Sir Jimmy attacked her again three years later at her engagement party, where he was the DJ.

She said: “I think there are thousands of people out there who were abused as boys or girls by my great uncle Jimmy.”

Mrs Robinson said while her mother and retired engineer husband, David, had supported her decision to speak out, other members of her family were unhappy about her making the allegations.