Women who claim they were groped by celebrities AREN'T money grabbers, says head of CPS as she shrugs off questions over acquittal of Travis and Roache

Alison Saunders says it is a myth that claimants are financially motivated

Comments are the first public defence of the celebrity prosecutions

Trials of Dave Lee Travis and William Roache both ended in acquittals

Saunders claims that historic cases are just as important as modern ones



The new Director of Public Prosecution, Alison Saunders, who asserts that claimants are not motivated by financial gain

The head of the Crown Prosecution Service has dismissed claims that women who allege they have been sexually assaulted by celebrities are ‘money grabbers’.

Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said it was a myth that claimants were financially motivated and said the public would be ‘horrified’ if historic sexual abuse claims did not lead to prosecutions.

Her comments are the first public defence by the head of the CPS of two controversial prosecutions of celebrities - the former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis and Coronation Street star William Roache.

Both mens trials ended in them being acquitted for sexual offences – and said they felt they had been targeted unfairly.

On being cleared, Mr Lee Travis described his trial as ‘a year and a half of hell’ and said his claimants were ‘money grabbers’, adding ‘I’m an easy target.’

But Mrs Saunders said victims of sex abuse by celebrities face being castigated as money grabbers when they report allegations.

She said: ‘It used to be that if a rape victim wore a short skirt, her credibility was undermined. Thankfully, we have moved on.

‘Now we must be careful not to establish new myths that victims come forward only for financial or other motives.’

Both Roache and Travis have complained how the spectre of Savile has haunted their high profile trials, and criticised the CPS for bringing the charges against them.

Dave Lee Travis (left) and William Roache (right) have claimed that the 'spectre of Savile has haunted their high profile trials', alleging that there has been a witchhunt among the celebrity community



Prosecutors have been accused of a ‘witch hunt’ in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, and veteran DJ Travis was cleared on 12 counts of indecent assault just a week after Mr Roache walked free from court.

Roache’s acquittal came after his fellow Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was cleared of child sex abuse charges last year following a seven day trail.



Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was cleared of child sex abuse charges last year following a seven day trail

Mrs Saunders took over as DPP in October and claims that women who want to come forward are being put off by feelings of shame, a belief that the system is against them and reluctance to face a ‘deeply invasive’ trial process.

In an article for The Times, she said historical cases of sexual offences can result in successful prosecutions - and are just as important as recent offences.

She cited the example of teachers successfully prosecuted and given significant jail terms for sexual abuse crimes committed up to 50 years ago.

Mrs Saunders also argued that cases of abuse committed historically were just as important as recent offences ‘because for victims the impact remains to this day.’

She added: ‘So long as our criminal justice system is working, we will continue to see acquittals in these types of cases. But we are also seeing convictions.’

The CPS conviction rate for rape has increased to just over 60 per cent, while for all cases taken to court it is more than 80 per cent, and Mrs Saunders highlighted how difficult it is to convict criminals guilty of sexual crimes.