Meet Karin Ward, who appears in Netflix’s new documentary “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.”
Find out about her age, marriage, work, and children. We also shed light on other allegations she’s made over the years against other stars. Keep scrolling!
Karin Ward on Netflix’s Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story
Karin Ward was the first person to come forward in the media to allege that she was abused by Sir Jimmy Savile. However, her story remains in the dark for almost a year after the BBC’s Newsnight programme shelved its investigation into the allegations against Savile.
Karin, a pupil at Duncroft School for Girls in Surrey, alleges that Jimmy abused her while she was there. She also recalls seeing convicted paedophile singer Gary Glitter having sex with a girl from his school in Jimmy’s changing room, something Gary denies.
Jimmy would reportedly turn up in his Rolls-Royce, handing out sweets and cigarettes in exchange for sexual favours. On several occasions, girls from Duncroft were bussed into London to appear on Savile’s Saturday night cabaret show, Clicking soundfilmed at BBC Television Centre. Karin alleges that in his dressing room after filming, the abuse continued.
“He was a dirty old man who liked very young girls,” Ward says now. “He would always put his hands up your skirt or your shirt and if you had pants on, he would try to pull them down to your waistband. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself.”
Karin continued to share with Guardian“None of us consider it abuse. [at the time]. We used to giggle about who did what to him. We would giggle and then smoke the cigarettes he gave us. He was very charismatic, albeit in a weird, creepy way. But when you’re a teenager, you get carried away, you get stars in your eyes. If he asks you to do something terrible, that’s normal. You know, you have to stick with him because you might be on TV.
She made the accusations again on BBC Panorama, which aired an investigation into why Newsnight dropped the investigation as debate grew over how and why it happened. Karin said the room was “packed” when it happened and Savile, who was present when the abuse took place, “laughed about it”.
She told Panorama she was furious when her interview was not aired by Newsnight: “It was heartbreaking and difficult because I was pushed so hard to do it when I didn’t want to…” She added: “In the end, I said OK, and with all that stress, what made me angry was the fact that I was put through all that stress when I needed to be focusing on my recovery, and then they never used it – because someone higher up didn’t believe me.”
Where is Karin Ward now?
Karin had a troubled childhood, with her mother not loving her and her stepfather physically abusing her. However, things took a turn for the worse for Karin when she was living at Garfield House Children’s Home in Norfolk, England. It was there that she first met Jimmy while living at the facility.
A year later, in December 2012, Karin confirmed to The Guardian that the year had been hell.
She sparked one of the biggest news stories of the 2010s and within 12 months she was the center of media attention. Her appearance on Exposed: The Other Side of Jimmy SavileThis led to accusations that the BBC had cancelled its coverage to avoid scheduling conflicts with planned memorial services for Savile.
At that time, Karin was 54 years old (2012).
Karin later accused Freddie Starr. “In the dressing room, Starr was surrounded by young girls who adored him, listening intently to every word he said,” Karin recalled that day 40 years ago. “He was a huge star, almost as big as Jimmy Savile. So how cool was it to be in the same room with Jimmy Savile and Freddie Starr?”
However, Freddie denied all the allegations and called her a “liar”. He told his audience: “My recap would tear her to pieces. I’ve never been to the BBC.”
In 2013, she faced a High Court libel case for £300,000 in damages. “Sue me – I don’t have the money,” she said.
‘He can sue me, take everything I don’t have – that’s fine, I don’t care,’ Karin told Daily mail. ‘What can he do to me? My house is rented out, my car is worth £25. What is he going to do – declare me bankrupt?’
When Channel 4 News discovered footage of Karin standing behind Starr on Clicking soundHe was forced to admit he had been ‘mistaken’ but still denied the ‘horrific allegations’ of abuse.
She felt relieved when other survivors came forward to tell their stories of abuse. “In a completely selfish way, I was glad that so many other people came forward and said, ‘And me, too,’ because I was vindicated,” Karin explained. “For years, I told the truth and was accused of being a troublemaker or an attention seeker.”
In March 2017, the BBC reported that she had won a libel case brought by Freddie Starr. Her legal costs were never recovered but the BBC agreed to contribute to Karin’s legal costs from Oswestry.
At the time of the allegations, Karin was also battling cancer, and is now a survivor.
Karin Ward Age
As of April 2022, Karin Ward must be at least 63 years old.
Karin Ward’s work
There is no information about Karin Ward’s job.
Is Karin Ward married?
Karin’s current marriage is unknown but she has been through three failed marriages. He has seven children from her marriages. However, she is said to have only been in contact with three of the seven children.
Related FAQs
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Where does Karin Ward reside?
Karin Ward, when she first came to public attention, was living in the village of St Martins, near Oswestry on the Welsh border. Until 2017, she was believed to be living in Oswestry. According to a report by The Cinemaholic, Karin lives in Shropshire, England, with her youngest child.
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Does Karin Ward use IG and Facebook?
No, it looks like Karin Ward is not on Facebook.