BBC Director General breaks silence on Huw Edwards scandal with message to staff
The BBC's Director General Tim Davie has broken his silence on the Huw Edwards scandal, with a message to all his staff.
It comes after the BBC News at Ten presenter was named as the man accused of allegedly paying a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures by his wife Vicky Flind on Wednesday evening.
In a message to BBC staff seen by the Mirror, he wrote: "Dear all, I wanted to write following this evening’s statements from the family of Huw Edwards and the police.
"Many of you will have read the words of Vicky Flind, Huw’s wife. It is a reminder that the last few days have seen personal lives played out in public. At the heart of this are people and their families.
Huw Edwards was publicly named as the man accused by his wife (BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)"This will no doubt be a difficult time for many after a challenging few days. I want to reassure you that our immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved.
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"Also this afternoon, the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police confirmed they would be taking no further action following an assessment of information provided to them.
"As you know, we were asked to pause our fact finding investigations until that assessment had been concluded. It is important we now continue with this work. I want to be clear that in doing so we will follow due process.
"This remains a very complex set of circumstances. As we have done throughout, our aim must be to navigate through this with care and consideration, in line with the BBC Values.
"In light of media reports in recent days, I want to be absolutely clear that if anyone has any queries or concerns or would like to pass information to us then please email Support at Work. Thank you and best wishes."
The 61-year-old father of five was first the subject of a complaint in May. Alongside a statement confirming his suspension on Sunday, it was reported the BBC had been in touch with the police.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command have now concluded their assessment and have determined there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We have seen the statement from the police confirming they have completed their assessment and are not taking further action. We’re grateful to them for completing this work at speed.
“The police had previously asked us to pause our fact finding investigations and we will now move forward with that work, ensuring due process and a thorough assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved.”
Over the weekend, Tim Davie warned against social media speculation surrounding who the then unnamed presenter was. In a note sent to staff and seen by the PA news agency, Tim said the corporation takes “all such allegations incredibly seriously”.
He added: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.
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“We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.”
In her statement, Huw's wife Vicky said: "The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future.Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published.
"To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday. In the circumstances and given Huw's condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected. I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
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