GUILTY UK - Rolf Harris for molesting underage girls, child *advertiser censored*, 2013

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Quite a few stories around about the 'eccentric wife' 'poor, crushed daughter' and the 'fake' family unity.

Not sure what the point is. They are and have been a family for years, so that's not fake. And these two women accompanied Rolf Harris to court each day, so that's hardly 'crushed'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-A-eccentric-wife-daughter-crushed-fame.html

And I am just hearing on BBC Radio that Harris may be facing further charges over the other allegations. Crown Prosecutor is looking into it. Oh, and Australian PM and others are speaking out about this: 'I'm gutted', and there is talk of compensation claims.....

ETA: Link to latest update. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28102238
 
I am a bit nervous about saying this but - I don't think compensation claims should be pursued. Money can't help repair any damage now in this case, after so long, imo. An apology and acknowledgment would be more useful. And claims may cast doubt on the motives of other victims coming forward.

Harris's career and reputation is ruined and being the age he is, and so high profile, he is unlikely to be able to attempt the same kind of thing ever again without being reported immediately so......I'm not sure further charges should be pursued, unless other victims really want them to be, for their own peace of mind.
 
Ah. Women have come forward in Australia too? And Australia is 'aghast?'

The article is running a pic of Rolf Harris with the future king of England, in case any Australians are feeling depressed about not ever seeing this coming (I'd never have believed this could happen either.)

Why does the woman in background look so shocked?

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28102609
 

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Lots more victims speaking out to the press here too now that the trial is over, it's overwhelming how many girls and women acting in professional roles (ie journalists) were touched up by him.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainmen...n-news-exclusive/story-e6frfmyi-1226974391466

I'm a tad jacked off that this went on for so long without anyone pulling him up about it, but then you are supposed to 'suck up' a lot of sexual harassment in the media and entertainment industries.

I watched a bit of this 'Dark Star' rubbish last night, but turned off after about 10 mins in because it was just such utter stupidity .. I mean it's all well to jump on the bandwagon once someone is convicted, but you can't tell me that the executives IN PARTICULAR AT CHANNEL 7 (Robert Hughes) haven't enabled other stars just like Rolf to carry on the exact same way with makeup artists, PA's etc etc .. this isn't just about one man, it's about a culture of sexism that objectifies women to the point where public groping of us is just fine as long as it's done with a giggle .. ugh! Maybe it's changing in the media industry, who knows, but there's a lot of work to be done.
 
Another thing while I'm on my high horse, all this pulling up of plaques and taking down of portraits etc .. really??? Why not just leave them exactly where they are, what on earth is the message here, that Rolf needs to be wiped from history? NO, let's keep all the paintings and plaques about and add the truth of the fact he was convicted of indecent assault TO the story of his time as an entertainer. Why do we INSIST on burying any hint of sexual indecency .. isn't that just continuing a situation where this side of humanity remains 'hush hush'?
 
.. of course there's to be compensation claims. I'd lay bets on who'll be right up front with their hand out.

I agree, those claims should never be allowed to happen. Especially if there's no need for proof any more, in order for someone to be convicted of a charge.

I will repeat: I *do* believe Rolf got gropey with a bunch of women over the course of his career. That, I am not in doubt of. What has grated me all along is the -process- of the charges laid (on no evidence at all, despite thorough police investigations, for exapmle), the media response (calling the complainants 'victims' from the get-go, reporting discrepancies in Rolf's statements, but not the complainants', etc..) , and even some of the comments made to the jury by the judge, which I found quite leading.

This has been an important 'win' for Yewtree, who's had a terrible run as far as actual convictions go. I'd be happy about that, if I thought justice had actually been done. It's not enough, for me, to say 'oh well, at least he's convicted'. Because if a system does not require proof of guilt beyond an accusation and the perception a 'pattern' with some pretty big holes in it, then there's *going* to be innocent men put away at some point.

Especially if, gods forbid, anyone claiming anything can make a grab for money out of it.
 
There is a greater burden of proof from the prosecutor than required for any civil suit so any compensation claims should be a walk in the park for the victims.
 
There's no such thing as precedent when it comes to juries, they're each individually accountable only to themselves. The criminal burden of proof remains unchanged. Like I said before, I believe that this outcome is the result of RH, like Max Clifford before him, shooting himself in the foot by being caught out in untruths (in this case over Cambridge in particular) and acting like a sleaze bag on the stand (singing Jake the Peg, admitting to ogling 13 year old girls). It appears that the jury were convinced that he did something and decided to go for the job lot. Like others I'm a little surprised at that. I'm not at all surprised that he got convicted of the Cambridge incident after the video came out. We now know that the woman was 15 or 16 at the time, and it fits in with the overwhelming credible evidence that RH was a serial groper of young women and teenage girls. Tonya Lee would also fall into that category although her credibility issues mean I'm a little surprised that charge succeeded, I'm not sure it would have done on it's own. It is worth saying that this was the case where Rolf claimed to remember the position of the table they were sitting at after decades, another example of him not helping himself.

https://twitter.com/VixSmith_Mirror/status/471951609111781376

https://twitter.com/Janie_Mathews/status/471951515641737216

https://twitter.com/Janie_Mathews/status/471952067875975169

It's also worth remembering that IIRC several (all?) of the women made disclosures to family members before the publicity over Savile, and before Rolf Harris's arrest. Bindi's Friend: I'm sure there was an inappropriate and underage relationship with RH, although I'm not sure it happened in exactly the way she's saying. This was the one where Rolf said on the stand that they never had a conversation in all their liaisons, which was bizarre.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-...examination-in-indecent-assault-trial/5484926

http://www.news.com.au/world/rolf-h...nded-by-his-fame/story-fndir2ev-1226949890773

Leigh Park is a standout in terms of the fact that the girl was so much younger than Rolf's "usual" targets. I have no reason to believe that this woman was any less credible than the others although given her young age at the time, their could have been some confusion over identity. I don't know if there were any look alikes operating at the time.

So there you have it.

:twocents:
 
Interesting reaction from Australian media over last few days which seems to be dying down now, I think in all honestly that people tended to find RH a 'bit of a strange bloke' and they find the latest turn of events too awkward for words, here on in I think we'll see him being all but wiped from history. I saw the painting that had him selected for the Archibald Prize at 16 the other day, and it really was brilliant .. not sure what happened, I find his subsequent paintings somewhat horrible .. it's like he decided 'to hell with it, I'm selling out to the highest bidder' and just started flogging them out Enid Blighton style .. I can't find that painting online of course now.
 
New Zealand MP and ex broadcaster says she too was groped by Rolf Harris ..

A New Zealand MP and former broadcaster says she was groped by Rolf Harris during an interview in the 1980s.

Maggie Barry said she was conducting a radio interview with Harris when he slid his hand up her thigh, she told RadioLive on Friday.

Barry said Harris turned nasty after she rebuffed his advance and called him a "creep".

.....

"I think ... he will get the full force of the law and probably die in jail and he deserves it."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/new-zea...o-interview-20140704-zsvfd.html#ixzz36TWR2QgL

Wow!

Also ..

Australian actor and singer Queenie van de Zandt has told Fairfax Media how she and her friends were allegedly targeted by Harris while working as his back-up singers at a Brisbane concert in 1988.

The performer – who starred in the Melbourne stage version of King Kong last year – was 17 at the time. While she and four other singers, aged between 17 and 21, were waiting at an airport, Harris allegedly approached them and immediately kissed each one.

...

Later that evening, van de Zandt found one of her co-singers crying backstage because ‘‘Rolf had done something to her’’. She claims she saw a violin player comfort the singer, then ‘‘storm’’ into Harris’ dressing room and ‘‘tear him a new one’’.

‘‘She swore at him and went nuts and said, ‘If I see you anywhere near these girls for the rest of the night – for the rest of this concert – I will report you to the police’. And he went as white as a sheet and went very wobbly. He didn’t even look at us for the rest of the night.’’

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/fres...exual-abuse-20140702-zsttp.html#ixzz36TXmqh85

Funny .. it seems now that the case is over people still involved in the industry or have high profiles feel more comfortable about speaking out, IMO this is because they were worried their credibility would be called into question if they had spoken out earlier, or for their own reasons didn't want to be involved in the case or do anything to interfere with the case before the courts.
 
I really wish a few of them -local to Aus as well as British - had chosen to take the stand. Their stories have back-up witnesses and hey, at least a ball park decade going for them...

I'd have been much happier about a guilty verdict, coming from people whose cases did not fundamentally undermine the concept of justice.

But who knows? He's not beyond the grasp of further charges. I just hope Yewtree can manage to be less insidious and underhanded, if so.
 
I think it's likely that people who have a lot more to lose than the witnesses we saw didn't want to come forward .. that's sad, it just shows how victims of this kind of crime feel about speaking up.
 
I imagine a reason for not coming forward could be because doing so might do damage to their careers for those in the entertainment business.
 
Thank goodness for the guilty verdict and sentencing. All credit to EVERY one of those victims who came forward, even when people criticised their motivations. There clearly is more victims out there, particularly in Australia, who will probably never get a day in court to make RH take responsibility, but they can at least rejoice in knowing he is behind bars now. I truly hope the guilty verdict speaks for itself, and the victims are not continually questioned about their motivations for coming forward and how they came forward (in media, etc). If we are to be a victim-friendly society that doesn't sweep stuff under the carpet, I don't believe we should question someone's motivations after a guilty verdict has been handed down. I for one hoped for a greater sentence, but given his age and health, this could end up being a life sentence anyway.

I also agree with the removal of his art and awards - I don't think it's about trying to delete him from history, I think it's more about taking the celebratory status away from an abuser.
 
well he only has to do half the sentence, i'll be so pissed if they make money. It was the gropy years- like drunk driving was'nt against the law, and domestic violence was commonly hidden by the heavy makeup-- it was just the way it was back in the day.. JMO
 
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