A song in which convicted pedophile Rolf Harris reportedly slanders his victims as money-grabbing “wenches” and “slimy little woodworm” has prompted calls for the disgraced Australian-born entertainer to be denied parole.
As The Guardian reports, Harris was convicted last year of indecently assaulting numerous young women and girls, the youngest of whom was just eight. A lawyer representing Harris’ victims says the song indicates Harris’ lack of remorse for his crimes.
The former children’s entertainer wrote down the lyrics in a letter penned from prison, where he is serving a six-year sentence. In the song, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Harris accuses his victims of being after his money, writing, “Come and join the feeding frenzy, girls.”
The victims’ lawyer, Liz Dux, wants the letter to be taken into consideration by the parole board when deciding whether to release Harris. She said she had spoken to one of Harris’ victims and was told her feelings were of “total revulsion”.
“The whole point of parole is for people to show some sort of remorse and understanding of their actions when they return into society and here is someone who is clearly behaving as he was before, with complete disdain and an attitude that he can behave how he wants,” Dux told BBC Radio 4.
In the letter, which the Mail on Sunday said they got from one of the 84-year-old’s friends, who was appalled by it, Harris writes that he plans on recording the song when he is released from prison “towards the end of 2017”.
As well as accusing his victims of being after his money, the song’s lyrics describe them as “foul accusers”. In the song, Harris writes, “Perhaps you believe you’re pretty still, some perfumed sultry wench”.
The Australian TV star, musician, and artist, whose six-decade career and numerous novelty hits made him a pop culture icon, also rails about the “injustice” he has suffered, but describes prison as “no hardship really”.
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“It’s absolutely abhorrent and his victims will be absolutely disgusted by it,” said Dux. “It shows the same arrogance and disdain that he displayed during the trial. It just shows that he really has shown absolutely no remorse at all and has no understanding of the lasting damage his actions have done.”
Harris was sentenced to just five years and nine months in prison at Southwark crowd court in London last July, after being found guilty of 12 indecent assaults dating between 1968 and 1986.
Harris was first interviewed by police as part of Operation Yewtree, an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against several UK media personalities.
Prior to his sentencing, the court heard unsettling victim impact statements, which detailed the devastating effects of his assaults on the four women. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Sweeney said Harris “took advantage of the trust placed in [him] because of [his] celebrity status”.
“You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all. Your reputation now lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours, but you have no one to blame but yourself,” added Sweeney.
