The BBC has been forced to pay out money to a sex abuse victim it ‘betrayed’ by screening clips in which she claimed Freddie Starr had groped her.

Karin Ward was one of the first to publicly unmask Jimmy Savile as a serial paedophile and rapist – a scandal which sparked the biggest crisis in the BBC’s history.

The 58-year-old says she was persuaded by Newsnight to reveal her story and told any legal fees would be covered if she was sued.

However Panorama showed clips of Ms Ward claiming Starr also ‘preyed on her’ – despite assurances the comic would not be named.

Starr sued her for libel in 2015 and while he lost, he refused to pay her £952,400 legal costs.

Ms Ward, from Oswestry in Shropshire, subsequently sued the corporation for £1million claiming it betrayed her, according to The Sun.

Ms Ward’s lawyer told the High Court court BBC bosses had left her to ‘twist in the wind’.

Ms Ward was sued by Starr over comments she gave to BBC Newsnight in 2011 for a story which was controversially spiked by the broadcaster.

The BBC instead broadcast Christmas tributes to the deceased DJ. But her interview was later used by Panorama.

Ms Ward and the BBC have now settled the dispute for an undisclosed figure.

A spokesman for the BBC said: ‘The BBC has agreed to make a contribution to Ms Ward’s legal costs.

‘The BBC and Ms Ward are pleased that this matter has been resolved.’

The mother of seven told how she was forced to perform sex acts on the Jim’ll Fix It star in the back of his Rolls-Royce, and saw Gary Glitter having sex with an underage girl in Savile’s BBC dressing room, during the filming of his show Clunk Click.

She also said she was ‘groped’ by Freddie Starr when she was just 15.

Mr Starr was cleared after an 18-month investigation but lost a libel case against Miss Ward in 2015.

The comedian had faced financial ruin after losing a High Court court case against Ms Ward.

Starr claimed he had lost £300,000 in earnings as a result of the allegations.

However, Mr Justice Nicol ruled that Miss Ward was telling the truth and dismissed the case in July 2015.

Instead of paying £952,400 to cover her legal fees and court costs as he was ordered to by the judge, Starr liquidated his assets and left the country, buying a flat on the Costa del Sol.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4308010/Jimmy-Savile-victim-sues-BBC-1million.html