‘The Accused’: Sir Cliff Richard & Others To Speak Out In Channel 4 Documentary Marking 10 Years Since Operation Yewtree

deadline.com:

Sir Cliff Richard and two other British entertainers accused but never convicted of sex crimes are to take part in a Channel 4 documentary marking a decade since Operation Yewtree.National treasure Richard was famously accused by a man of sexual assault but Richard was never charged and went on to win £2M ($2.4M) from a BBC settlement, after BBC News sent a helicopter to cover police raiding his Berkshire home.He will contribute to Curious Films’ The Accused: National Treasures on Trial alongside Pop Idol judge Neil Fox and DJ Paul Gambaccini, all of whom were accused but never arrested.Led by their personal stories and experiences of being investigated, while in the full glare of the national media, including video diaries recorded with Gambaccini and Fox at the time, the documentary explores the immediate and longer-lasting impact the process had on them, their families, careers and reputations.It marks a decade since Operation Yewtree, the investigation launched after the outing of serial sex offender Jimmy Savile.The documentary also hears from some of those close to the police investigation, along with journalists who were involved in the national conversation surrounding Yewtree.“This film offers a unique and fresh take on events that changed us forever, compelling viewers to ask important questions about a watershed moment in recent British history,” said Channel 4 Commissioner Lee McMurray. “The hurt and anger felt by three household names caught in the eye of the storm sparked by Yewtree, is weighed against the need for and value of a police operation that, while not perfect, delivered long overdue justice to victims of heinous crimes.”The Accused: National Treasures on Trial  is produced by Lauren Rowles,