Melbourne woman sues Rolf Harris in fresh sex attack claim

A Melbourne woman has launched legal action against depraved performer Rolf Harris after he allegedly molested her when she was 10 years old.

Rolf Harris is accused of carrying out a sex attack on a Melbourne girl in 1982. Picture: Getty

Rolf Harris is being sued over an alleged sex attack on a Melbourne girl decades before he was exposed as a depraved showbiz pervert.

His accuser was a 10-year-old ward of the state when she says the performer – then a favourite of millions worldwide – molested her in 1982.

Harris, 92, was one of Australia’s most popular entertainers at the time, singing the national anthem at that year’s AFL Grand Final and performing at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

“Jill” has engaged legal firm Maurice Blackburn to take action against the deviant artist, who has done prison time in England for child sex crimes.

A sketch of Rolf Harris in the dock at Southwark Crown Court, London, in 2014. Picture: Elizabeth Cook

At the time, “Jill” was a ward of the state living in a family group home in Hampton. She was taken to attend an out-of-school camp at Camp Manyung in Mount Eliza where Harris was to perform for two nights.

“Jill” said there was a woman who she met at the camp whose name she could not recall, but remembers her as the “Nice Lady” because of her kind nature.

“Jill” says that after the show, Harris mingled with children and she was introduced to him.

She had made a card for Harris and the entertainer asked if he could see it and sat down next to her.

“Jill” had spilt wax on her dress and was trying to pick it off, a task Harris offered to help with.

“That’s when he said he could help me get the wax off. It started off helpful.”

“Jill” said Harris was humming or singing as he used a “hug-lift” to drag her on to him.

It was then that he put his finger in her vagina.

“I remember feeling petrified, terrified and panicked,” she said.

“Jill” said she screamed after the contact and there was a confrontation between the “Nice Lady” and a woman who had organised the event.

Lawyer John Rule of Maurice Blackburn.

She recalled the ‘Nice Lady’ saying: “Are you going to get any sleep tonight because I’m not going to if he stays”.

“Jill” alleges that Harris then marched towards her and called her a “lying brat”.

Soon after, she said, Harris left and did not return.

“Jill” was not surprised when it emerged more than two decades later that Harris was a prolific sex offender.

“There was no hesitation in believing what those people were saying,” she said

“Jill” is also suing the State of Victoria and foster care provider OzChild over a succession of alleged incidents of abuse while she was in their care.

Two involved sexual abuse by men and another was cruel and violent treatment by a staff member at Swinburne House, where “Jill” had been placed.

She says that at the time of those offences, she tried to speak up but was dismissed.

“It was just like nobody cared. You’d give up coming forward. People didn’t believe you. You’re just a troubled child,” Jill said. “I’ve been abused my whole life. It took me a long time to trust anyone.”

Lawyer John Rule of Maurice Blackburn said the case against Harris could be bolstered by his criminal history.

He said it was “opportunistic and blatant”, in line with previous conduct and potentially left him exposed to an argument of tendency offending if the allegation was denied.

“We know this is a pattern of behaviour. It’s a real arrogance in his offending,” Mr Rule said.

He said it was possible there were other Australian victims of Harris who had never come forward, as with “Jill” until recently.

It is 10 years next month since the sordid activities of Harris were finally exposed to the public.

He had been regarded as a national treasure in Australia and was a recipient of a range of royal honours.

But Operation Yewtree, which looked into the twisted British child sex offender Jimmy Saville and others, resulted in victims of Harris coming forward.

The paedophile repeatedly used his position and trusted reputation to abuse children.

Attacks committed by Harris have been traced back as far as the 1960s and he was jailed in England almost five decades later after being convicted of 12 indecent assaults.