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Rolf Harris trial: Entertainer known as the 'octopus' for wandering hands, court told Rolf Harris trial: Entertainer known as the 'octopus' for wandering hands, court told
(about 4 hours later)
Australian entertainer Rolf Harris, a TV family favourite in his homeland and Britain for more than 50 years, was known as the “octopus” for the way he assaulted women, a London court was told on Friday. Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character whose "untouchable" reputation allowed him to carry out a string of alleged indecent assaults on under-age girls, a court has heard.
Harris, 84, is the biggest name to go on trial since British police launched a major investigation sparked by revelations that the late BBC TV host Jimmy Savile was a prolific child sex abuser, leading to the arrest of more than a dozen ageing celebrities. The 84-year-old was even known at an Australian TV channel as "the octopus" because of the way he put his hands all over women, London's Southwark Crown Court heard today.
Harris is known by millions in Britain and Australia for pop chart hits such as “Two Little Boys” and “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.” Opening the case against the star, who denies 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986, prosecutor Sasha Wass QC said Harris's alleged victims were "overawed" at meeting him, saying: "Mr Harris was too famous, too powerful and his reputation made him untouchable."
A keen artist, he painted Queen Elizabeth's portrait in 2005, was honoured by her for his services to entertainment and charity and performed at her 2012 Diamond Jubilee concert. Addressing a packed courtroom, Ms Wass said Harris was "an immensely talented man" who excelled in art, music and children's entertainment. He painted a picture of the Queen in 2005 to commemorate her 80th birthday, before being made a CBE the following year.
The white-bearded, bespectacled entertainer sat silently in the dock as he was accused of 12 counts of indecent assault against four girls between 1968 and 1986, the youngest of whom was aged just seven or eight at the time of the alleged offence. It was his fame and reputation that meant he was able to carry out "brazen" sexual assaults, often when other people were present or nearby, she said.
He denies the charges. Ms Wass said: "The prosecution does not, for a minute, suggest that there is not a good, talented and kind side to Mr Harris.
On the opening day of what is expected to be a six-week trial at Southwark crown Court, the 12-member jury of six men and six women heard that Harris had a reputation at an Australian TV channel for his inappropriate behaviour. "But, concealed behind this charming and amicable children's entertainer, lay a man who exploited the very children who were drawn to him.
“He was known as the octopus because of the way he would put his hands all over women,” said prosecutor Sasha Wass. “He took advantage of his fame and popularity.” "There is a Jekyll and Hyde nature to Rolf Harris and this dark side of Rolf Harris was obviously not apparent to all of the other people he met during the course of his work, and it was not apparent to those who may want to testify to his good character."
Wass also said Harris wrote a letter of confession to the father of one of his alleged victims where he accepted that he had had a sexual relationship with the girl but did not say it occurred whilst she was under-age. The prosecutor said it was "a side of him which is sexually attracted to children and under-age girls" and "a side which gave him the confidence to molest girls knowing that they could not object and, even if they did, nobody would believe them".
She said the court would hear from an employee from Australian television that Rolf Harris's reputation was such that he was known as 'the octopus' because of the way that he would put his hands all over women."
Harris, sitting in the dock wearing a grey suit, white shirt and multi-coloured tie, listened intently to the proceedings through a hearing loop as the prosecution case was outlined.
His wife Alwen and other members of his family sat listening in the public gallery alongside dozens of UK and international journalists.
Ms Wass told the court that eight alleged victims will give evidence, four of whom are the subject of charges on the indictment, and the others supporting witnesses.
"The chances of so many people making up similar false allegations are just ludicrous," she told jurors.
She went on to outline allegations made by one of the victims, who was allegedly groomed like "a young puppy who had been trained to obey".
The alleged victim, who is the subject of seven of the counts, claims she was abused by Harris, first while on holiday when she was 13 and then continuing over 15 years.
Ms Wass said: "You will hear during the course of this case other instances where Mr Harris touched children and women alike in quite brazen circumstances.
"It may be that that was part of the excitement, knowing that he could do that and get away with it."
It is alleged that the girl's parents trusted Harris, so did not suspect him.
"Rolf Harris was a pillar of society, a well-respected man and somebody who was well known for being fond of children," Ms Wass said.
On one occasion, it is alleged, Harris gave the teenager oral sex as another girl slept in the same room.
Ms Wass said: "[The alleged victim] thought that it was as though the risk of doing this so near to [the other girl] was exciting him."
The jury was told: "He never treated her as an equal or a human being. He never had a meaningful conversation with her. She felt, as I said to you, that she was his little toy.
"As a result of this grooming process, [the alleged victim] had become completely compliant."
The court was told that eventually the woman - whose alleged experiences at the hands of Harris led to her becoming an alcoholic - told her parents, prompting her father to write a letter to Harris.
In a reply, thought to have been sent in March 1997, the artist allegedly confessed to having a sexual relationship with the woman, but denied it started when she was 13.
In the letter, he is said to have described being in a state of "self-loathing" and feeling "sickened" by himself for the misery he had caused her.
"You can't go back and change things that you have done in this life - I wish to god I could," he wrote.
He went on: "As I do these animal programmes, I see the unconditional love that dogs give to their owners and I wish I could start to love myself again.
"If there is any way that I could atone for what I have done, I would willingly do it. If there is any way I can start to help [the alleged victim] heal herself, I would willingly do it."
He apologised to the man for betraying his trust and added: "I know that what I did was wrong but we are, all of us, fallible and oh how I deluded myself. Please forgive me, love Rolf."
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