BBC Issues Apology for Failing to Protect Female Staff from Stalker's Abuse

The corporation acknowledges its inadequate response to complaints of harassment by former presenter Alex Belfield before 2019.

The BBC has issued a 'full and unreserved' apology to four female employees for not adequately addressing their complaints of harassment by ex-presenter Alex Belfield.
Belfield, who was jailed in 2022 for stalking several individuals, targeted the women with abusive emails and social media posts over several years.
The four women, Rozina Breen, Liz Green, Stephanie Hirst, and Helen Thomas, suffered significant mental health impacts and have all since left the BBC.
The corporation admitted that it failed to act on early warnings and only began taking the complaints seriously after leadership changes in 2019.
The BBC has since implemented measures, including online abuse reporting tools and expanded mental health resources, to better support staff facing harassment.