David Walliams sexual misconduct allegations spark calls for better safeguarding

Résumé détaillé

The best-selling author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News.

Allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming against David Walliams have sparked calls to make it easier to report concerns about the behaviour of powerful celebrities.

The best-selling author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News involving accusations of grooming teenage girls as young as 15 and abusing his position to pursue women.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the claims were the “latest in a long line of reported abuses of power” while comedian Lucy Beaumont called for better industry safeguarding processes.

Walliams, 55, has denied any wrongdoing and tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.

He is yet to comment further since the publication of his name on Tuesday.

One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a “sexual assault”, while multiple women accused him of “grooming” them as teenagers.

Ms Nandy pledged she would be meeting with senior media and entertainment industry members to “draw a line in the sand”.

She added: “A decade and a half on from the revelations about Jimmy Savile and 10 years on from the Me Too movement, we must finally take meaningful steps to end abuse and harassment in sectors where the power imbalances are huge and careers are built on contacts and reputation.”

The Culture Secretary’s comments also came the same week comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years behind bars for rape and sexual assault.

Début de l'article, extrait de Evening Standard. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.