DJ Tim Westwood charged with multiple rape and sexual assault offences spanning three decades

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood faces rape and assault charges involving seven women

Former BBC Radio 1 and Capital Xtra DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with several sexual offences, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police. The 68-year-old faces four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault, involving allegations made by seven women between 1983 and 2016.

Westwood is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 10. The charges span multiple decades, with alleged incidents taking place in various parts of London and one in Stroud. Among the allegations, a 17-year-old girl was reportedly assaulted in Fulham in 1983, and in 1986, another woman in her 20s was allegedly assaulted in Vauxhall. Between 1995 and 2001, two young women aged 17–18 were allegedly raped and indecently assaulted, while separate alleged assaults occurred in 2010 and 2016 involving women in their 20s.

Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), stated that sufficient evidence had been found to proceed with a criminal trial and emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legal process. “It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings,” Idan said.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Met Police encouraged any other potential victims or witnesses to come forward, acknowledging the courage it takes to report such allegations.

Westwood, a prominent figure in UK hip-hop broadcasting since the 1980s, rose to fame through his influential rap show on BBC Radio 1 starting in 1994. In 2022, a joint BBC News and Guardian investigation revealed accusations from 18 women alleging predatory and inappropriate behavior between 1992 and 2017 — claims Westwood has consistently denied.