Rolf Harris

Sex offenders plan for opportunities arising, or they'll create the opportunities themselves. Someone like Rolf Harris, mingling with children as part of his work, being tactile and inviting children to sit close to him or on his knee, would not have been suspected of molesting a child he was 'cuddling' with one hand in sight and the other out of view of those present who would stop him. Also, he followed one child out to toilets when she went on her own and waylaid her when she came out. Children don't expect a man who is tickling or cuddling them to be intrusive with their hands, especially when the language they are using normalises what they are doing. Planning, fantasising and putting sex offending into practice is done with stealth to ensure they are not detected.

so people watched and did nothing

I am left shaking my head in disbelief at that statement.

Some posters have no idea of the devious and, yes, clever nature of these paedophiles. Like a magician - all smoke and mirrors.

Obviously so cleverly done whilst distracting the crowd with chat, painting etc, as did others who did things on tv.
Some people are so cynical about the victims and obviously have no experience either directly or through the type of work they did that they remain blissfully naive, which must be a lovely state of mind.

There is far more openness these days, so victims may feel more courageous about coming forward, and many people will be more aware to enable them to protect their children and grandchildren - indeed any child they know. We can't go through life suspecting everyone and being suspicious, but even the nicest, jolliest person could be capable of the unthinkable.

I was groped at a craft fair [and obscene comments were whispered in my ear]. I was an adult at the time and, having young children with me I didn't want to cause a fuss. In fact, if was in total disbelief that it was happening/had happened. All I could think was to get the children away and get home as soon as possible. No one around had any awareness of it happening. I should have tirned round and slapped him or something but it was so unexpected my head was spinning. No, it didn't cause any lasting damage other than the fact that it's still vivid in my imagination and I regret not 'outing' him.

Thank you rosequartz, so people watched and did nothing?

Which have been proven. Just shows the arrogance of the perpetrator to molest a child in plain sight.

Was any evidence given in a closed court or was there restrictions placed on the media as to what could be reported ? I didn't follow this case closely but apart from the alleged abuse of his daughters friend I only heard allegations of incidents which took place in public, on a hall stage etc

Yes, iam64, and often they will spend a long time befriending a family with that aim in mind, so that they are trusted.

Elegran, total agreement with your comments about Michael Jackson. Thanks also for your earlier post (the 'psychobabble one)

Rosequartz makes another good point about the risks involved in allowing people who aren't well known to parents to babysit. We should never forget though, that the main risks to children are from relatives or family friends, people who are well known and trusted.

Yes, elegran. And some mothers are happy to leave their babies and children with babysitters they really do not know well. If I say 'male babysitters' I will be castigated of course, but I remember many cases, not all of which would have hit the headlines.

It has always surprised me how ready some mothers are to let their children be alone with celebrity entertainers. Michael Jackson and his sleepovers, Saville, Harris and others. They are so dazzled by being close to fame that they forget to take care of their children.

I must admit to being surprised by one or two posts on here which would appear to be cynical and show a lack of understanding for the victims of abuse. Some posters seem to be looking at the abuse from the point of view of a mature woman with plenty of life experience - not as a young child or young person who may have had no idea what was happening to them and how to deal with it. They would be too embarrassed to have told anyone and probably thought they would have not been believed anyway.

There will have been a lot more evidence presented to the jury than we have read about in the media and, I think, the verdict was unanimous.

During my working life I have been aware of some extremely horrendous cases of such offences against children, and other victims. It has not hardened me to what is coming to light in these present cases involving celebrities, rather it has given me more insight and empathy with the victims.

The perpetrators usually pick their victims well, and it sounds as if Harris was clever, devious and adept grooming as well as an opportunistic molester.

One poster said that he might be able to turn his life around - personally I hope his sentence is long enough for him to end his days inside prison.

For all the cynics and those who may still have doubts about his guilt I would tell them to thank their lucky stars that their child or grandchild was not introduced to the jolly children's entertainer at a 'fun' event.

Glad mishap that it did not affect you for life. I had bad experience with my brother in law and I was only 12 when it started he would suggest hide and seem and of course guess who he hid with ! I was scared and confused my mum knew but it was different culture and I don't think she wanted upset my sister. He said no one would believe me because I had a temper !

I have nothing to do I with him now and he is disabled. It didn't mar my life but it did damage my sense of self worth In Regard to men. However been happily married for 37 years, often wonder if he thinks about it with all these scandals coming to light.

I think worst thing is how roof Harris went to broadmoor with Saville to look at the women who had to line up naked before bed! Taking advantage of vulnerable people is horrendous.

...and yes, when - I do know what you mean.

Elgran I think perhaps you misunderstood me. (your post 19.47) I never worked with abusers. Most of my work was with the NSPCC, specifically working with young women who'd experienced sexual violence. Thanks for the 'well done' though. Appreciated

Thankfully I have not been marked for life - but at the time I was a married woman in my 40s, and took a reasoned decision not to take the matter any further. I was not physically harmed in any way, but had I been younger I might have found the situation more difficult to deal with. For example, I might been left not knowing quite where the boundaries lay, or have felt that I might have precipitated it by my behaviour and gone on to feel insecure in how I approached men. Men in situations of power can precipitate a lot of confusion in women's minds, particularly those who are young, vulnerable and sexually inexperienced. And as for children.....

It is important that women report these incidents and that they are not condemned for not doing so at the time - there is safety in numbers, and when they see others coming forward it gives them the confidence to speak out.

My post was meant to indicate that I do understand why women find it hard to speak out.

Rolf Harris has been found guilty and he must suffer the penalty.

Thank you, Jingle

Reminds me of the time my computer picked up a virus, which must have come from one of a group of linked organisations I was connected with a few years ago. I had been constructing them a website and had lots of emails back and forth, hard work because most of them were new to emails. I contacted the chairman of the group and suggested that it was not really enough for all his branches to have virus protection, they needed to update it regularly to catch all the new viruses as they were created and sent the rounds. His reply referred to my email as "technobabble".

I take your point about using the word 'victim' ffinochio. I keep searching for a word that encompasses those people who have been irreparably harmed and need recognition from both public and the criminal justice system during the course of prosecution, as too many comments are made that they ought to let it go, it wasn't that bad, why bring it up years later..........

You know what I'm on about.

OMG! I'm not condoning it! Please don't read that post in the wrong way.

I'm getting off here.

I think it depends on the age of the child. A child too young to know what was happening but simply knows that it hurts, is going to be much less damaged than an older child who knows exactly what is happening.

Finnochio Your reaction was to help alleviate the effect on others, and to try to bring home to the abusers just what they have stored up for the future of those they abuse. Well done.

I too am not saying "victims" because that implies that every child/young person abused is destroyed by the process. They are not, some become stronger, but there is a price to pay for that strength.

Elegran love the psycho-babble!

Elegran An insightful post. This is why I dislike the term 'victim' so much. Many children and young people do respond to their experiences with strength, individuality and a desire to never toe the line again. It's makes for difficult and challenging work, not least for those abused. I am and was such a one, and later worked in child protection.

The depth of violence, depravity and intrusion cannot be underestimated. A quick touch up by a dirty old man would be considered a caress by some.

Been reading it in daily mail today, what a nasty filthy bastard needs his bits cut off with a blunt knife.

The "dirty old men" that many of us encountered at some time in our lives were not all identical. some were dirtier than others, and some of us reacted more violently to the experience than others.

Unlike some of those posting on here, i have not worked with offenders or victims, and I have never been subjected to more than a mild touch-up, and certainly not molestation at an early age, but knowing the vast differences in personalities between one person and anlother, I can see that the effect on different children would vary a lot.

For instance, I can imagine one reaction being that a child could grow up to have a strong resistance to any kind of controlling authority, to anyone trying to impose their will on them and shape them to a persona they did not choose for themselves. I can imagine them flouting acknowledged patterns of behaviour, and deliberately setting out to test the boundaries of good taste. I can imagine them being disgusted with themselves sometimes, but unable to change themselves, and falling into depression.

I can envisage the kind of posts that such a person would send to a site like Gransnet, confrontational and antagonising at times, even toward those who had shown themselves to be "for" them , not "against" them, if they gave the impression of being at all patronising.

In other words, the experience has an effect, even though it is not the one normally thought of.