Tim Westwood has been very quiet since his alleged sexual misconduct came to light last year — and now, a British attorney has launched a victim hotline as part of her investigation into the DJ.
According to Rolling Stone UK, attorney Gemma White KC — who was initially commissioned by the BBC to conduct a full independent inquiry into Westwood — launched the hotline on Thursday (April 20). From now until May 19, the hotline — which is only available in the UK — will be open 24 hours a day. There, people can call and share their alleged experiences with the British DJ.
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In a statement to the outlet, White said that the hotline will “expand the ways in which people can come forward.”
“I have recently been provided with material suggesting that there are people who want to contribute to the review by calling me, or members of the Linklaters review team, rather than having to email to make an appointment to speak,” the attorney said.
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A joint investigation by The Guardian and the BBC revealed that Tim Westwood had several sexual misconduct complaints launched against him — and one complaint was referred to the police. The investigation uncovered a history of allegedly inappropriate and predatory behavior between 1992 and 2017.
And this investigation came after BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, claimed he had “seen no evidence of complaints” during Westwood’s time as a Radio 1 DJ.
Through an attorney, Westwood strenuously denied the allegations of seven women who came forward as part of the original investigation. “Our client confirms that there has never been any complaint made against him, whether officially or unofficially, relating to claims of inappropriate behaviour of the nature described,” a spokesperson said.
Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Westwood stepped down from his weekly Saturday night radio show on Capital Xtra “until further notice.” He previously hosted BBC Radio 1’s inaugural rap show between 1994 and 2013, as well as MTV’s Pimp My Ride UK in the mid 2000s.
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One alleged victim, identified only as Esther, came forward in July 2022 and claimed Westwood had sex with her on several occasions in the early 1990s, starting when she was just 14 (below the age of consent in England). The DJ, now 64, was in his 30s at the time.
“I sit here today and face what I’ve been running from for a long time,” she said while describing the former BBC Radio 1 Hip Hop DJ as a “predator.”
