Rolf Harris jailed for five years and nine months

[Lite Beer]

Rolf Harris jailed for five years and nine months

Mr Justice Sweeney said Harris had taken advantage of the trust placed in him because of his celebrity status

Rolf Harris has been jailed for a total of five years and nine months for 12 indecent assaults against four girls - including one aged just seven or eight.

Harris, 84, who was found guilty of offences that took place between 1968 and 1986, was told by the judge he had "no-one to blame but himself".

Mr Justice Sweeney said Harris had taken advantage of his celebrity status and had shown "no remorse".

One victim said the abuse had taken away her "childhood innocence".

The judge said Harris had "clearly got a thrill from committing some of these offences" against the four girls, one of whom who was just seven or eight.

The other victims were two young teenagers and a childhood friend of Harris's daughter Bindi, whom he abused between the ages of 13 and 19.

The judge said the assaults resulted in her suffering panic attacks, anxiety and led to her becoming an alcoholic, saying she had "suffered severe psychological harm".

Speaking after sentencing, she said the jail term was "immaterial".

"I feel fine, I think the guilty verdict was actually what I wanted, what I went to court for," she said.

She added: "I do hope that women will come forward now, celebrity or not."

Before Harris was jailed, prosecutors said he would not stand trial over allegations he had downloaded sexual images of children.

They had claimed Harris had indecent images of children, as part of a larger collection of adult pornography, but decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute him.

Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28163593

-- BBC 2014-07-04

[ripstanley]

The 84-year-old will not spend the entire sentence behind bars, with Justice Sweeney announcing half the sentence will be non-custodial.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-04/rolf-harris-sentenced-to-more-than-five-years-jail/5572768

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2014/07/04/06/03/rolf-harris-set-to-be-jailed-for-years

I think he should have got a lot longer time inside

[Soutpeel]

Think this sentence is about 20 years too short

[Lite Beer]

Rolf Harris jailed for 5 years for sex attacks on children, young women

LONDON: Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name in Britain and Australia for decades, was today (July 4) jailed for five years and nine months by a judge in London for a string of sexual assaults against girls and young women.

The Australian-born television star, artist and songwriter, 84, was found guilty earlier this week of indecent assault against four victims between 1968 and 1986, including the best friend of his daughter Bindi.

"You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all," judge Nigel Sweeney told Harris as he handed down his sentence at London's Southwark Crown Court.

"Your reputation lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours, but you have no one to blame but yourself."

Harris was the second person to be convicted under a wide-ranging police investigation set up after allegations that a fellow BBC television star, Jimmy Savile, was a prolific abuser.

Harris, wearing a multicoloured tie, grey suit and white shirt, showed no emotion as he heard the sentence that could see him die in prison, even if he is only likely to serve half of his sentence.

The court had earlier heard statements from the victims in which one, Harris' daughter's childhood friend, said she had been traumatised by his abuse and made to feel "dirty, grubby and disgusting".

Another victim who was abused when she was only eight as she went to get Harris' autograph, said that in those few moments her "childhood innocence was gone".

Harris' conviction on Monday caused widespread shock and soul-searching in Britain, where his television programmes were watched by millions of children.

His stature was once so great that he was made a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2006 – one of the highest honours Queen Elizabeth II can bestow – and even painted the monarch's portrait on her 80th birthday.

There was also revulsion at his spectacular fall from grace in Australia, the home country that he left at the age of 22 but which treated him as a national hero.

The judge described in graphic detail the 12 counts against Harris, who he said had taken advantage of the trust placed in him as a celebrity and as a father to abuse vulnerable girls.

Seven of the counts relate to Bindi's friend, who said she was first abused when she was away on holiday with them in 1978, when Harris was 48 and she was just 13.

He once assaulted her while his daughter was sleeping in the adjacent bed.

In her statement to the court, the unnamed woman said she blames Harris for her alcoholism over many years and said the abuse left her a "quivering wreck".

Harris admitted having a sexual relationship with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but said it only began when she was an adult.

Defence lawyer Sonia Woodley had urged the judge to consider in mitigation that the entertainer was not in the best of health.

Woodley also argued that, with the exception of his daughter's friend, all the assaults involved brief encounters and were "opportunistic rather than predatory".

"There are two sides to him and it's a fact that he has a good side to him," she said.

Prosecutors said they would not pursue allegations that Harris downloaded sexual images of children, saying it was "no longer in the public interest".

During court arguments that can only now be reported, his lawyers had contested the age of models found in pornographic images found on his computer.

However reports suggest the entertainer, known for hit songs such as Two Little Boys and Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, could now be stripped of his CBE, while there is also the prospect of further charges.

A dozen more women from Britain, Australia and New Zealand have made fresh allegations against him, including a New Zealand MP, who said he groped her when she tried to interview him as a reporter in the 1980s.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/rolf-harris-jailed-for-5-years-for-sex-attacks-on-children-young-women-47205.php

-- Thai PBS 2014-07-04

[Cuchulainn]

..............Justice Sweeney announcing half the sentence will be non-custodial..............

Judges sitting in their ivory towers are totally out of touch with the real world. Doddering old fools. The 'Blackadder Goes Forth' trial sums them up well.

Baaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!

[evadgib]

Do Belmarsh allow these?

Edited July 4, 2014 by evadgib

[Chris Lawrence]

I bet he won't be showing his third leg in prison?

The other thing read in a report was that he had not abused anyone since 1994? As this was supposed to mean that he had turned a corner? I would say the reason for this was his third leg went limp?

Rolf showed no remorse!

Hope the people abused get the civil case against him started sooner than later. All his medals need to be returned and he won't be knighted by the Queen?

He gets less than 5 years custodial sentence while his victims serve life.

[bkkden]

That's a travesty for all the cases against him. He should get life without parol!!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[skippybangkok]

Mmm.. Wondering now about the inspiration for the song "two little boys"

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Basil B]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Think this sentence is about 20 years too short

I agree with you to a point...

But what is to be achieved by locking him up for more than a year, he is now a broken man, probably within 18 months there will appeals based on he is not fit to remain in prison.

Mmm.. Wondering now about the inspiration for the song "two little boys"


Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Just waiting for the ditty "Too Many Girls" to the tune of "Two Little Boys"

[englishoak]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Think this sentence is about 20 years too short

I agree with you to a point...

But what is to be achieved by locking him up for more than a year, he is now a broken man, probably within 18 months there will appeals based on he is not fit to remain in prison.

Mmm.. Wondering now about the inspiration for the song "two little boys"

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Just waiting for the ditty "Too Many Girls" to the tune of "Two Little Boys"

He is not remorseful, he thinks hes still an entertainer. He should be doing the whole sentence and receive no peace, just like his victims

It achieves the message you cannot use age as an excuse to buck prison..... he should have got 10 years. At least..

The delving into his life and crimes can now commence and begin in earnest.

Let the dismantling of all his pride and his claims of achievement's end up in the dustbin and on the rubbish tip ... where he belongs.

Edited July 5, 2014 by englishoak

[Rykbanlor]

And now Mr Harris, it's time to read your sentence...............can you guess what it is yet?

[Albertosez]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

[klauskunkel]

Defence lawyer Sonia Woodley had urged the judge to consider in mitigation that the entertainer was not in the best of health.

"There are two sides to him and it's a fact that he has a good side to him," she said.

I just love those statements from the defence:

...not in the best of health... - they do have medical facilities in prison.

...he has a good side to him... - his good side is not on trial.

[ggt]

Lets hope that all those who think they remember something untoward may have happened to them back in 1968 come forward with their tales...it should be fun watching the police raid nursing homes to place 80 - 90 year olds on trial...what a farce...

[nzvic]

Well-liked broadcaster now NZ member of parliament said Harris showed nasty side when rebuffed, so kiwis have confirmed they too experienced his grossness.

Ewww - yuk, what a sleaze.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Inappropriate post removed

[Suradit69]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

" a few more stars", "maybe more people will come forward with new allegations "

Unfortunately, not all the allegations will be true and innocent people who are accused will have their reputations damaged irreparably.

People like Harris and Saville deserve all they get and more, but claims of rape or childhood abuse are sometimes scams engineered to blackmail (almost always) men, for profit or spite.

I recall when victims of abuse from priests were coming forward ... quite legitimately in most of the initial cases ... someone accused the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Bernadin, of abusing him. It was totally fabricated and the accusation was withdrawn and the accuser apologized, but at least some of the damage to the cardinal's reputation could never be retracted.

Public support was overwhelmingly behind the cardinal who was fighting terminal cancer at the time, but that accusation has become a part of his personal history and almost certainly took a further toll on his health..

And you don't have to be rich or famous. There's really nothing to stop some vindictive person falsely pointing his/her finger at anyone, claiming he raped me or he stole my childhood innocence. There's a good reason why bearing false witness is right up there with murder when it comes to the ranking of sins.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Suradit69

[John_Betong]

Another Victim Comes Forward...

Skippy the bush kangaroo has come forward today after years of silence......

She say's not only did Rolf Harris tie her down,

but the dirty bastard went on to sing about it !

[sanuk711]

"You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all," judge Nigel Sweeney told Harris as he handed down his sentence at London's Southwark Crown Court."

Just a thought---but isn't it a nutty comment by the judge,,,,,,,,,, How is one to show remorse if you are pleading not Guilty......

I mean all through the trial you are saying you did not do this act---it wasn't me..I wouldn't do these things to kids..etc..... so you can not show remorse then, ....after the jury then stands up & says, we think you did--- Do you then say--OK---well that's it---you got me there....I really am so sorry, I'm just really remorseful about the whole thing now....etc...etc.

[Albertosez]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

" a few more stars", "maybe more people will come forward with new allegations "

Unfortunately, not all the allegations will be true and innocent people who are accused will have their reputations damaged irreparably.

People like Harris and Saville deserve all they get and more, but claims of rape or childhood abuse are sometimes scams engineered to blackmail (almost always) men, for profit or spite.

I recall when victims of abuse from priests were coming forward ... quite legitimately in most of the initial cases ... someone accused the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Bernadin, of abusing him. It was totally fabricated and the accusation was withdrawn and the accuser apologized, but at least some of the damage to the cardinal's reputation could never be retracted.

Public support was overwhelmingly behind the cardinal who was fighting terminal cancer at the time, but that accusation has become a part of his personal history and almost certainly took a further toll on his health..

And you don't have to be rich or famous. There's really nothing to stop some vindictive person falsely pointing his/her finger at anyone, claiming he raped me or he stole my childhood innocence. There's a good reason why bearing false witness is right up there with murder when it comes to the ranking of sins.

True - and the media have to take some responsibility for sensationalizing some stories well before the real details of the story are established. However, I suspect that there are more people that are / were afraid to come forward with genuine abuse allegations than those that do come forward with false allegations. It's not a perfect world and there is some price to pay for the freedom that people have to make allegations, but surely it's preferable to have a world where people are afforded freedom - than otherwise?

[sunshine51]

Harris's sentence is way too short IMO. Let the man die in prison instead.

Pedophiles...scum of the planet.

[lawmakmak]

The Jimmy Saville thing wasn't really a surprise. He was clearly total weirdo. Rolf Harris however, he was a genuine part of my childhood (not like that).

I remember as a very young boy in infants school we were shown a video in which he warned us about inappropriate touching my adults. He even sang a song about it. It was called "My body is nobody's body but mine" ... anyone else remember?

Next on the list Jim Davidson (fingers crossed)

[BlackJack]

including one (victim) aged just seven or eight.

What on earth was the judge thinking when sentencing?

Did Rolf give someone else up for a lighter sentence?

[Roadman]

including one (victim) aged just seven or eight.

What on earth was the judge thinking when sentencing?

Did Rolf give someone else up for a lighter sentence?

From what I understand the sentence is relative to what would have been handed down at the time of the alleged offences not what are relevant if the offences had occurred now where sentences certainly by New Zealand standards anyhow are a lot longer.

[Suradit69]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

" a few more stars", "maybe more people will come forward with new allegations "

Unfortunately, not all the allegations will be true and innocent people who are accused will have their reputations damaged irreparably.

People like Harris and Saville deserve all they get and more, but claims of rape or childhood abuse are sometimes scams engineered to blackmail (almost always) men, for profit or spite.

I recall when victims of abuse from priests were coming forward ... quite legitimately in most of the initial cases ... someone accused the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Bernadin, of abusing him. It was totally fabricated and the accusation was withdrawn and the accuser apologized, but at least some of the damage to the cardinal's reputation could never be retracted.

Public support was overwhelmingly behind the cardinal who was fighting terminal cancer at the time, but that accusation has become a part of his personal history and almost certainly took a further toll on his health..

And you don't have to be rich or famous. There's really nothing to stop some vindictive person falsely pointing his/her finger at anyone, claiming he raped me or he stole my childhood innocence. There's a good reason why bearing false witness is right up there with murder when it comes to the ranking of sins.

True - and the media have to take some responsibility for sensationalizing some stories well before the real details of the story are established. However, I suspect that there are more people that are / were afraid to come forward with genuine abuse allegations than those that do come forward with false allegations. It's not a perfect world and there is some price to pay for the freedom that people have to make allegations, but surely it's preferable to have a world where people are afforded freedom - than otherwise?

"...but surely it's preferable to have a world where people are afforded freedom - than otherwise? "

"Freedom" is not a carte blanche licence to do whatever you please. Obviously one person's exercise of his freedom has to have some bounds. In cases like these, people like Harris apparently felt they were afforded unlimited freedom. Making false accusations is not an exercise of freedom, it's an irresponsible, criminal act.

Generally, even in the west, people are free to make accusations, but they often end up with reputation damage themselves as well. Being known as the kid who was fiddled with or the woman who was raped might generate some short-term sympathy, but the stigma tends to go one forever.

Of course in some cultures a woman who has been raped is treated as damaged goods or even put to death. Obviously in those cases reporting a rape would be the last thing someone would want to do.

And obviously if the victims are coming forward to accuse these guys 20 or 30 years after the fact or even after the abuser is dead, they must not have felt they had that freedom for a very long time.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Suradit69

[Baerboxer]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

" a few more stars", "maybe more people will come forward with new allegations "

Unfortunately, not all the allegations will be true and innocent people who are accused will have their reputations damaged irreparably.

People like Harris and Saville deserve all they get and more, but claims of rape or childhood abuse are sometimes scams engineered to blackmail (almost always) men, for profit or spite.

I recall when victims of abuse from priests were coming forward ... quite legitimately in most of the initial cases ... someone accused the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Bernadin, of abusing him. It was totally fabricated and the accusation was withdrawn and the accuser apologized, but at least some of the damage to the cardinal's reputation could never be retracted.

Public support was overwhelmingly behind the cardinal who was fighting terminal cancer at the time, but that accusation has become a part of his personal history and almost certainly took a further toll on his health..

And you don't have to be rich or famous. There's really nothing to stop some vindictive person falsely pointing his/her finger at anyone, claiming he raped me or he stole my childhood innocence. There's a good reason why bearing false witness is right up there with murder when it comes to the ranking of sins.

Good points. Harris certainly deserves the punishment and appears to be getting off light.

I used to work in a large nightclub in the mid 70's that had live shows. Many famous singers, bands, comedians, beauty contests etc. Many people would ask to meet the "stars" and have a word in their dressing room. Many performers were happy to do this. I saw many girls 16-20 years old make it very obvious they were available to often much older performers. Some of these girls were clearly under the influence of alcohol. Many performer's management ushered the girls in and out so there was no chance of problems. Some performers definitely took advantage, taking girls to parties later. I'm sure many of these young ladies regretted their actions later, whilst others didn't. Equally, I'm sure some of the performers took advantage whilst others didn't.

Sorting out the serious sexual assaults from the false allegations, after so much time, must be incredibly difficult.

[vogie]

And yet his greatest crime of releasing 'Stairway to Heaven' goes unpunished?

[Albertosez]

I think there will be a few more " stars " looking over their shoulder now - maybe more people will come forward with new allegations following this !

" a few more stars", "maybe more people will come forward with new allegations "

Unfortunately, not all the allegations will be true and innocent people who are accused will have their reputations damaged irreparably.

People like Harris and Saville deserve all they get and more, but claims of rape or childhood abuse are sometimes scams engineered to blackmail (almost always) men, for profit or spite.

I recall when victims of abuse from priests were coming forward ... quite legitimately in m

ost of the initial cases ... someone accused the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Bernadin, of abusing him. It was totally fabricated and the accusation was withdrawn and the accuser apologized, but at least some of the damage to the cardinal's reputation could never be retracted.

Public support was overwhelmingly behind the cardinal who was fighting terminal cancer at the time, but that accusation has become a part of his personal history and almost certainly took a further toll on his health..

And you don't have to be rich or famous. There's really nothing to stop some vindictive person falsely pointing his/her finger at anyone, claiming he raped me or he stole my childhood innocence. There's a good reason why bearing false witness is right up there with murder when it comes to the ranking of sins.

True - and the media have to take some responsibility for sensationalizing some stories well before the real details of the story are established. However, I suspect that there are more people that are / were afraid to come forward with genuine abuse allegations than those that do come forward with false allegations. It's not a perfect world and there is some price to pay for the freedom that people have to make allegations, but surely it's preferable to have a world where people are afforded freedom - than otherwise?

"...but surely it's preferable to have a world where people are afforded freedom - than otherwise? "

"Freedom" is not a carte blanche licence to do whatever you please. Obviously one person's exercise of his freedom has to have some bounds. In cases like these, people like Harris apparently felt they were afforded unlimited freedom. Making false accusations is not an exercise of freedom, it's an irresponsible, criminal act.

Generally, even in the west, people are free to make accusations, but they often end up with reputation damage themselves as well. Being known as the kid who was fiddled with or the woman who was raped might generate some short-term sympathy, but the stigma tends to go one forever.

Of course in some cultures a woman who has been raped is treated as damaged goods or even put to death. Obviously in those cases reporting a rape would be the last thing someone would want to do.

And obviously if the victims are coming forward to accuse these guys 20 or 30 years after the fact or even after the abuser is dead, they must not have felt they had that freedom for a very long time.

The main reason for the delay in coming forward with these allegations is that they felt that no one would believe them. Joe average making a claim against a superstar - and with the legal defense that superstars can afford - it's understandable why they felt they wouldn't be believed. Just because it's a long time ago it doesn't make them innocent of the crime or any less accountable. The other point you make about people making false allegations and the effect it has on people - I agree with it, those people also deserve to feel the full force of justice. Whether the force of justice is strong enough is another matter. I think most people feel that the justice system doesn't go far enough these days - hence the general rise of serious crime in most countries.

[Cambodger]

It seems pretty obvious that Rolf Harris was at it with this teenage girl, the friends of his daughter. I don't know any of the facts regarding the other victims.

However as a anecdote In the 1990's as a troublesome youth I spent time in various institutions in the UK including a year in a therapy/ intense rehabilitation centre for substance abuse.

During this period I lived in house with 40 others, people came a went regularly so I probably shared my time there with over a hundred or so...

The main purpose was to get to the root of people's issues and behavioral problems so I spent days on end listening to people's life stories and tales of woe.

My main memory of it all was the amount of bs I had to listen to about child abuse. Not all but I'd guesstimate 5% and that's been generous were genuine cases.

One persons story would feed another's until almost 80% were claiming to have been abused.

People would regularly make things up on the spot merely for attention and to excuse their behavior, inconsistent stories that changed daily, forgetting what they'd said previously, relatives that didn't exist, institutions they never attended etc.

Some were genuine, horrific and difficult to sit through, but the bs storytellers were never called out by the professionals and everything was lapped up and taken as fact, further encouraging the farce it became.

The time I spent there has rightly or wrongly left me very skeptical of a lot accusations of child abuse, it's just such a easy accusation to make, even just for attention, and believe me that's enough for some people.

Not to mention bringing financial reward that will surely come from accusing a rich and famous celeb.

One last thing, the main reason I gathered genuine victims keep quiet for so long is usually if the abuser is a family members or persons with power within a institution where the victims are trapped or have to deal with their attacker day in day out.