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Alleged Rolf Harris victim denies 'sexual chemistry' with entertainer

A woman (49) who says she was assaulted by Rolf Harris has told a court she did not "flirt" with ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.37 13 May 2014


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Alleged Rolf Harris victim den...

Alleged Rolf Harris victim denies 'sexual chemistry' with entertainer

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.37 13 May 2014


Share this article


A woman (49) who says she was assaulted by Rolf Harris has told a court she did not "flirt" with the veteran entertainer.

She says Harris indecently assaulted her when she was aged 13. She denied there was "sexual chemistry" between them and that she consented to oral sex after she turned 16.

Under cross-examination, the woman said she was "shocked and upset" after Harris allegedly groped her.

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The woman - a childhood friend of the entertainer's daughter Bindi - gave evidence about attacks she says took place while she was on holiday with the Harris family in 1978.

She said she could remember that an alleged assault happened at "four-ish" in the afternoon because she had been sunbathing and then gone for a shower.

She told the court that after Harris assaulted her as she got out of the shower she thought "My God, did that just happen?".

The woman said she did not record the alleged attacks in her diary and told the court "If someone saw my diary I wouldn't want them to think I'd had an awful time".

The witness was asked by defence counsel Sonia Woodley QC why she had gone on holiday with Harris if she was so ''scared'' of him, as she has previously said.

"I didn't want to show it"

She told the jury at Southwark Crown Court ''I wanted to be with Bindi and I knew he wouldn't be around all the time'.'

When pressed about the alleged shower assault, the witness said she had ''no recollection'' of how Harris got into the bedroom and where he had been previously.

Ms. Woodley also questioned her about a time where she says Harris groped her on a beach within view of his wife Alwen and Bindi.

She asked the witness ''You must have been shocked and upset?''. She replied that she was and was then asked how Alwen and Bindi could not have noticed.

The woman replied ''Because I didn't want to show it".

Ms. Woodley referred to an incident on the M4 when the court has heard that oral sex took place. She said ''You started foreplay, you fondled his crotch in the car while he was driving, then when he pulled over you gave him oral sex'.'

The witness denied Ms. Woodley's version and also insisted that an indecent assault that had taken place in the pool of Harris' home in Berkshire.

Earlier in her cross examination, the witness denied defence suggestions that in more than six hours of police interviews and statements, she had plenty of time ''to rehearse'' what she was going to say.

She also denied Ms. Woodley's claims that she was ''strong minded, wilful and argumentative'' although she agreed that as a child she had gone through a phase of eating ''just marmite on toast''.

Harris, dressed in a silver grey suit, shirt and tie listened to proceedings via a hearing loop and his wife Alwen was also in court along with other family and friends.

The TV presenter and artist denies 12 counts of indecently assaulting her and three other girls from 1968 to 1986.


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