The BBC has been forced to apologise ‘unreservedly’ today after an investigation found it failed to support a journalist claiming he was being harassed at work, who then later killed himself.
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire reporter Russell Joslin, 50, suffocated himself last October despite being on suicide watch at a psychiatric hospital.
His family claimed he was driven to his death by the Corporation as they failed to take seriously allegations that he was being bullied by a female colleague.
Today BBC bosses apologised to the respected broadcaster’s family, including Russell’s father Peter Joslin, the former Warwickshire chief constable.
Today’s report by ‘external professional’ Lesley Granger, a former BBC HR employee follows months of investigation, in which she also interviewed many BBC Coventry and Warwickshire staff.
Mr Joslin’s family said in a statement: ‘The BBC clearly let Russell down. They could and should have done more. All of their staff regardless of role should be treated equally and have the same standards expected of them.
‘While we do not blame any individual and nor should anyone involved in Russell’s care do so, tragically it is possible that Russell might still be alive if the BBC system had proactively handled his complaints with more competence, openness and humanity. If only the BBC had listened and acted earlier.’
The long-awaited report also contains criticism of a former high-profile female presenter by other colleagues at the BBC radio station in Coventry.
But it does not go into whether Mr Joslin was bullied, only if his case was properly handled.
The woman is said to have targeted him after he spurned her sexual advances during a night out at a restaurant in 2007 near his home in affluent Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
She allegedly left him a series of abusive phone messages, in which she swore and belittled him.
In them, she accused him of being ‘flaky’ and a ‘loser’, the report says.
‘Don’t ever ever ever think of me as your mate again.
‘Do what you have to at the BBC because you are a loser on 27 grand a year,’ one message said.
Another voicemail left by the woman when he spurned her advances said: ‘You’ve p***** on your chips’.
While there is no evidence that the messages contributed to the death of Mr Joslin, his family claim that he was left ‘a shadow of his former self’ because he felt bosses failed to act on his complaints.
The 50-year-old was found suffocated at St Michael’s psychiatric hospital in Warwick, and died on October 22 last year, three days after walking in front of a bus in Warwick Road, Kenilworth, in which he was largely uninjured.
Mr Joslin had been in contact with BBC West Midlands boss Cath Hearne and a senior HR professional in a bid to resolve the issues.
The Granger report is particularly critical of how those concerns were handed by the private company Capita Health and Wellbeing, which handles BBC’s occupational health work.
Texts Mr Joslin left behind showed he had been upset to apparently be told there was no record of previous complaints to occupational health.
BBC West Midlands insiders had claimed the conclusions of a previous internal BBC inquiry last year, headed by an independent person, into ‘bullying’ complaints were never made public, and little was done.
A long BBC statement in response to the report today states: ‘The BBC extends our deepest sympathies to Russell’s family, friends and colleagues.
‘Russell was a respected and much loved member of the team at Radio Coventry and Warwickshire and he is greatly missed. We would also like to thank the Joslin family for their participation in this investigation at a very difficult time.
‘The BBC acknowledges that aspects of the handling of Russell Joslin’s case were not good enough. We have apologised unreservedly to the Joslin family.
‘It is clear from the report that a number of factors, including workplace culture, made it more difficult for Russell to raise concerns.
‘Disappointingly, the report also refers to behaviour which falls below the high standards we expect of all those who work for the BBC.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to re-iterate that the BBC will not tolerate any form of bullying and/or harassment and is committed to providing a workplace in which the dignity of individuals is respected.
‘Employees raising a bullying and harassment grievance should be able to do so without fear of victimisation.
‘The BBC has had an opportunity to consider the report and to discuss it with the Joslin family.
‘Whilst this was an extreme case, it is important that we learn the lessons from Russell’s tragic death and we are determined to do so.’