Rolf Harris

I have an unusual background insofar as I am a retired solicitor, and a qualified hypnotherapist and psychologist. I didn't follow the Rolf Harris trial and am not aware if whether or not there were reporting restrictions?
I don't read newspapers, nor do I have a tv but pick up snippets of news via the internet. I took an interest in the recents RH events as I have both an interest in aborigine art and aborigine music. RH plays the digeridoo and is a fair artist. It's interesting how society explains certain types of behaviour in certain contexts but not in other areas of life. In some situations one has a medical condition which as it were forgives a type of behaviour, yet in other areas only the choices of good and evil appear to prevail. RH's alleged behaviour could arguably be explained as 'autism' - eg. unable to see things from the others' points of view, and obsessive repetitive behaviour. I comment purely from an academic viewpoint and have absolutely no views on the outcome of the RH case. Nor do I profess or deny the existance of autism. Decades ago I realised that (as my late grandfather regularly stated) 'the law is an ass,' so never per se respected U.K. law, particularly as it is often at variance to the other European countries' laws. In this particular instance eg. no statute of limitations. The law and psychology are often artificially manipulated and accepted or rejected simply to justify a judgement already made. Such is life - often illogical. Sometimes perverse.

I think he will be watched very carefully inside. But I don't think he will last long and may face extradition after if he does survive.

Who knows? Could he be extradited to face trial in Aus or NZ?
I suspect he won't last the year - he'll either die or kill himself.

Then there are the rumours of a paedophile ring in Westminster itself. Apparently documents 'went missing'. I wonder how far that one will get, if it ever sees the light of day?

Will he face further charges in Australia or New Zealand if not here? There could be no end to this as it keeps unravelling.

Rosequartz - re your last point: would we ever know the truth of that? And does he? Probably not! He'll have plenty of time to think about it now, though....

rosequartz Yes, I suppose it does! Well, he possibly was nice to her (his aunt, that is!) I expect even Adolf Hitler kissed babies and smiled at butterflies. And I, like many more descendants of Jewish refugees, have nothing to thank him for, to say the least. But I'd STILL not use the term 'pure evil' (if 'evil' can ever be pure!)
And it doesn't mean they are forgiven either, far from it. Simply that we can acknowledge their humanity and their fallibility, let the law take its course and not add to the hate-fuelled atmosphere, which I feel very uneasy about.

Actually, though, petallus has put it far better than I could and far more succinctly. Well said.

I am not sure that Harris's crimes were all opportunistic. Some were, but at least one young girl was groomed for his perverse satisfaction.

I am also left wondering what came first, the desire to become a children's entertainer which gave him the opportunities to satisfy his perversions, or did he deliberately choose that path in life knowing it would bring him into contact with children and young people?

I don't hate anyone. Just because I think that some people are totally evil does not mean I am right in my thinking.

Apparently West's aunt said of her sexual-sadist serial killer psycopathic nephew that he had always been 'a nice boy'. I suppose it depends on your definition of 'nice'.

There is a difference in degree between Harris's mostly opportunistic sexual attacks (repulsive as they are) and the ones that Brady and Hindley committed. They taped the whole thing for action replays later, including young people sobbing for their mothers as they were raped, tortured and killed. That was evil. It was premeditated and planned and ghoulishly relished in retrospect as well as at the time.

And all of this unpleasant stuff can be felt and expressed whilst still maintaining a sense of one's own righteousness because the target 'deserves it'.

All of this hatred which manifests itself when something like the RH trial is going on is very depressing.

If you hate someone and want them to be tortured ad infinitum, that says something about you as well. The impulse is in there already, just waiting to be triggered off.

I'm not saying that I sympathise with them. They all committed hideous crimes. But they aren't totally evil any more than anyone good is totally good. That doesn't mean I'd be happy to be in the same room as them, though.
jingl - you say 'RH obviously not in the same league' but many would disagree and consider him up (or down) there with the worst. He will be further demonised in the press. That's what I mean by 'additional hate-hype'. It's neither necessary nor in the public interest and it does more harm than good. But most of the press aren't concerned with that.

"the additional hate-hype"

What else could anyone do but hate the likes of Hindley, Brady, and the Wests?!

RH obviously not in the same league.

Just to mention that West did not go to trial because he hanged himself beforehand.

Rowantree, it would be a boring life if we all agreed all of the time. Don't disappear!

You don't need to see yourself out at all Rowantree I have a different opinion to you that's all. Be very boring if we all agreed with each other.

Well, he wasn't my cuppa either, tbh, but that's beside the point. And I have every sympathy with the victims. But I disagree completely with your last point.
I guess I'm out on a limb here. I'll see meself out....

I haven't followed the RH story much and not at all through the Red Tops. Never thought he was much of an entertainer, not my cup of tea. My sympathy lies with the victims not RH. I don't think it's unreasonable for him to spend the rest of his life in prison. As for finding redeeming features in the others mentioned here you have got to be joking. There are none, none at all.

Gill57, totally agree with you.

jinglbells I hear you, even when you aren't shouting ;) but they are being punished and the law must take its course. I just dislike the additional hate-hype. We don't need to be as uncivilised as those who perpetrated these crimes. Thank goodness for the rule of law - otherwise, it's pretty clear that we'd have public castrations, lynchings and the like. I'd prefer cobblers to that.

Maybe they paid their bills on time? I agree they are/were horrible though. But I don't see how anyone can exclude Hindley from the list of evil people. She encouraged Brady to the hilt* and exulted in their recordings of the murders.

*Freudian slip? Not intentional.

DO YOU NOT REMEMBER WHAT THOSE BASTARDS DID?

"it is indeed difficult to find some redeeming feature about West or Brady. That doesn't mean there isn't one though"

Total cobblers!!! There can be NO redeeming features about them.

Really !!!

Good post, Rowantree.

Yes Gill, I am afraid people do want to do unspeakable things to him and lock him up. I would be very happy to see offenders like him rot in prison for the rest of their lives.

Oh don't let's get too holy about him. He's a bastard.