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Rolf Harris trial: 'The way he tickled you was cringey … creepy' Rolf Harris trial: 'The way he tickled you was cringey … creepy'
(about 1 hour later)
Rolf Harris repeatedly carried out sexual assaults on the young daughter of family friends, acting without warning and then pretending nothing had happened, the alleged victim has told a court. Rolf Harris repeatedly carried out sexual assaults on the young daughter of family friends, acting without warning and then pretending nothing had happened, the alleged victim has said in court.
The woman said that even before the first alleged assault, when she was 13, she already found Harris "creepy" and "cringey" for his habit of giving her bear hugs and tickling her body. On one occasion, she said, Harris assaulted her while a family member was oblivious in the same room, saying: "I think he got a thrill out of it." The woman said that even before the first alleged assault, when she was 13, she already found Harris "creepy" and "cringey" for his habit of giving her bear hugs and tickling her body. On one occasion, she said, Harris assaulted her while a family member was oblivious in the same room. "I think he got a thrill out of it," she said.
Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman, now in her late 40s, said the alleged attacks had had a significant effect on her life, prompting her to start drinking to cope with the anxiety. As a teenager she felt the assaults were "all my fault", she told Southwark crown court. Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman, now in her late 40s, said the alleged attacks had had a significant effect on her life, and that she had started drinking to cope with the anxiety. As a teenager she felt the assaults were "all my fault", she told Southwark crown court.
Asked by Sasha Wass QC, prosecuting, why this was the case, the woman replied: "Because I didn't stop him. I should have shouted and screamed." Asked by the prosecutor, Sasha Wass QC, why that was the case, the woman replied: "Because I didn't stop him. I should have shouted and screamed."
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the first alleged attack took place when she was 13 and on holiday. She had taken a shower in her hotel room and emerged with just a towel around her, assuming the room was empty. However, she saw the Australian-born entertainer and artist standing there. The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the first alleged attack took place when she was 13 and on holiday. She had taken a shower in her hotel room and emerged with just a towel around her, assuming the room was empty, but she saw the Australian-born entertainer and artist standing there.
"He just came up to me and gave me one of his big hugs and tickles," she said. Harris then immediately reached under the towel and sexually assaulted her, she said, while muttering something like, "You're lovely." The woman said she felt panicked. "I just thought, 'Oh my God, what's happening,'" she said. "He pretended nothing had happened, and said, 'I'll see you downstairs.'" "He just came up to me and gave me one of his big hugs and tickles," she said. He then immediately reached under the towel and sexually assaulted her, she continued, while muttering something like "You're lovely." The woman said she felt panicked. "I just thought 'oh my God, what's happening,'" she said. "He pretended nothing had happened and said 'I'll see you downstairs.'"
The woman said Harris would regularly hug and tickle her, and she did not enjoy it, calling it "pretty creepy". The woman said Harris would regularly hug and tickle her, and that she did not enjoy it, calling it "pretty creepy".
"The way he hugged you and tickled you all over was cringey. I never liked it. Rolf would fold himself around you. He was a big man. He would fold you in his arms and tickle you up and down your body.""The way he hugged you and tickled you all over was cringey. I never liked it. Rolf would fold himself around you. He was a big man. He would fold you in his arms and tickle you up and down your body."
The woman said Harris assaulted her in a similar way two days later when he wrapped a towel round her as she emerged from the sea, with family members close by. The woman said Harris assaulted her in a similar way two days later when he wrapped a towel around her as she emerged from the sea with family members close by.
Asked by Wass why she did not shout out, the woman replied: "I was a very shy child, excruciatingly shy really, and I didn't have the guts to shout out. I thought that if I shouted out it will cause mayhem."Asked by Wass why she did not shout out, the woman replied: "I was a very shy child, excruciatingly shy really, and I didn't have the guts to shout out. I thought that if I shouted out it will cause mayhem."
On another occasion, she said, Harris took a photograph of her in bed. She said: "I was asleep in bed. I awoke to a click of a camera."On another occasion, she said, Harris took a photograph of her in bed. She said: "I was asleep in bed. I awoke to a click of a camera."
The woman said the assaults continued on the holiday and then back in the UK when Harris visited her family home. To cope with the anxiety these visits would cause, she said, she used pocket money to buy small bottles of gin, which she would drink in her bedroom, brushing her teeth to mask the smell from her parents. The woman said the assaults continued on the holiday and then back in the UK when Harris visited her family home. To cope with the anxiety these visits caused, she said, she used pocket money to buy small bottles of gin that she would drink in her bedroom, brushing her teeth to mask the smell from her parents.
She described an occasion when she was 15 when Harris allegedly put his hand into her jeans after coming to her bedroom, and on another occasion "cornering" her in a TV room and assaulting her in a similar way. On each occasion, she said, Harris said nothing except sometimes murmuring her name, and would immediately afterwards go downstairs and start laughing and joking with the teenager's family as if nothing had happened. She described an occasion when she was 15, when Harris allegedly put his hand into her jeans after coming to her bedroom, and on another occasion "cornering" her in the TV room and assaulting her in a similar way. Each time, she said, Harris said nothing except sometimes murmuring her name, and afterwards he went downstairs immediately and started laughing and joking with her family as if nothing had happened.
Was there ever any question of the alleged victim enjoying the experiences, Wass asked? She replied: "No, not in the slightest." Was there ever any question of the alleged victim enjoying the experiences, Wass asked.
The woman also described an alleged assault when she was staying at Harris's family home in Bray, Berkshire, including one when he brought her a cup of tea in the morning, and another which took place when a family member was in the same room. On another occasion, she said, he began to fondle his penis in front of her, which she described as "small, very, very small". "No, not in the slightest," the woman replied.
Harris, 84, wearing a dark grey suit, pink shirt and multicoloured tie, sat in the glassed-in dock listening impassively to proceedings with a hearing loop headset. He denies 12 counts of indecent assault covering 25 years from the late 1960s. His wife, Alwen, sat in the public seats among other relatives and supporters. She also described alleged assaults when she was staying at Harris's family home in Bray, Berkshire, including one when he brought her a cup of tea in the morning, and another which took place when a family member was in the same room. On another occasion, she said, he began to fondle his penis in front of her, which she described as "small, very, very small".
On Friday, opening the prosecution case, Wass told the jury that Harris groomed the alleged victim, whose claims cover seven of the 12 counts, "like a pet". Harris, 84, wearing a dark grey suit, pink shirt and multicoloured tie, sat in the glassed-in dock and listened impassively to proceedings with a hearing loop headset. He denies 12 counts of indecent assault covering 25 years from the late 1960s. His wife, Alwen, sat in the public gallery with other relatives and supporters.
Wass said of Harris: "He never treated her as an equal or a human being. He never had a meaningful conversation with her. She felt she was just his little toy." On Friday, Wass opened the prosecution case by telling the jury that Harris groomed the alleged victim, whose claims cover seven of the 12 counts, "like a pet".
She said of Harris: "He never treated her as an equal or a human being. He never had a meaningful conversation with her. She felt she was just his little toy."
When the alleged victim finally told her family in the 1990s, her father wrote to Harris, and the entertainer replied saying he was in "a state of abject self-loathing".When the alleged victim finally told her family in the 1990s, her father wrote to Harris, and the entertainer replied saying he was in "a state of abject self-loathing".
The jury on Friday read Harris's letter to the girl's father in which he admitted a sexual relationship – while insisting it began when the girl was of legal age – and begged for forgiveness. The jury read Harris's letter to the girl's father, in which he admitted a sexual relationship while insisting it began when the girl was of legal age, and begged for forgiveness.
"When I see the misery I have caused [the alleged victim] I am sickened by myself. You can't go back and change things that you have done in this life – I wish to God I could," Harris wrote. "When I see the misery I have caused I am sickened by myself. You can't go back and change things that you have done in this life. I wish to God I could," Harris wrote.