BBC presenter sex scandal reveals the corporation has learned nothing from its Jimmy Savile shame

Yet again, the corporation finds itself mired in controversy - with one of its stars accused of paying a teenager for photos of a sexual nature - seemingly inert when it comes to proactively upholding standards of personal conduct among its staff.

That individual stars are having to step forward and protest their innocence, making it clear that they are not the deviant in question is, at best, deeply unfair. Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine, Rylan Clark, Nicky Campbell - the latter being forced to inform the police about allegations being made against him in the court of social media - all taking it into their own hands to make statements about allegations made about someone else, because their bosses don’t know how to handle this latest crisis.

But the pain, anguish and stress this is causing those individuals and their families – let’s not forget these people have loved ones, some of them children - could be prevented if BBC bosses simply issued a statement about the individual concerned.

“Following allegations against Mr X, the BBC has taken the decision to suspend him pending investigations. At this stage, there is no more to add.”

Not only would a statement of that sort prevent any more of its stars from being subjected to hateful vitriol, it would also save unwitting, dare I say unintelligent, keyboard warriors from stepping into a defamation bear trap and wind up owing someone thousands of pounds in damages.

As the former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal states: “A bit of legal advice on the ‘BBC presenter story’: if you name someone and get it wrong, then they may sue you for defamation and you can say goodbye to everything you own. So don’t!”

Of all the organisations in all of the world, depressingly, the BBC should be best-equipped to deal with this type of controversy - lord knows it has walked this path enough times before. It should have world class safeguarding protocols that are triggered the moment an allegation of this nature is made - ones that put the wellbeing of potential victims first; protect all colleagues from the impact of likely collateral damage; ensure those alleged of wrongdoing have access to rigorous and fair due process and latterly to protect the reputation of the organisation.

But, it is clear, it doesn’t have a world class safeguarding protocol. In fact, if the last 48 hours are anything to go by, it still doesn’t appear to have a safeguarding protocol at all.

There is an order of shame trailing the BBC when it comes to sexual predators, the most notorious of them all being Jimmy Savile, whose monstrous crimes were only revealed once the BBC’s most treasured - and protected - star was dead.

To be clear, I am in no way implying guilt the way of the accused in this latest scandal to hit the BBC. That is for the authorities and for the BBC’s internal procedures. My disdain - at this stage, knowing little as I do about the details of the accusations nor the alleged - is for the woefully inadequate handling of it by the BBC and the consequences that cackhandedness is having for so many others who do not deserve to be attacked by ill-informed, often anonymous trolls who thrive on piling spite and misery onto others.

Leeds MP and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is right to heap pressure on the BBC. In an interview with Sky News she expressed horror that allegations of this nature can be made, and the alleged is then allowed to go about their everyday duties with seeming impunity.

BBC Director General Tim Davie cannot hesitate a moment longer. If he is to salvage any trust among the corporation’s stars and staff, then before today is out he needs to do the right thing by everyone - everyone.