The woman, who was molested by Savile in a caravan in the 1970s, made a complaint to Sussex Police in 2008 but later decided not to proceed because police told her she would be “all over the newspapers”.
Detectives failed to tell her she would be granted anonymity and that three other women had come forward with similar allegations against Savile.
Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, yesterday apologised to victims and admitted police and prosecutors missed a series of opportunities to bring him to justice. He said there was sufficient evidence at the time to mount a “strong case” against him.
