Fury of Rolf sex attack ‘victim’ after he is found wandering in schoolyard
A WOMAN who claims to have been a victim of paedophile Rolf Harris slammed him yesterday for entering the grounds of a primary school.
Karen Gardner, 57, said she was not “surprised” that the shamed entertainer had wandered in and waved to children through the windows.
Karen, who alleges Harris assaulted her at an event in Cambridge in 1977, said: “Mr Harris continues to pursue his life without acknowledging the harm he did to girls and young women, and this behaviour doesn’t surprise me.
“All the publicity attributed to him suggests he doesn’t acknowledge or wish to understand what he’s done. If he made steps to do that it would be a great positive step for all those who’ve suffered abuse.”
Harris was never convicted of any offence against Karen, who waived her right to anonymity to speak out against him.
Breached
But the 88-year-old Australian-born artist and TV presenter was jailed for five years and nine months in 2014 for 12 indecent assaults on four other young girls.
He was released on licence in 2017 and lives in a riverfront house in Bray, Berks, near Oldfield Primary School where he was spotted on Tuesday.
He claimed to have been getting wood from a sculptor who was working in the school grounds but was asked to leave by the headteacher.
Yesterday Thames Valley Police confirmed they had spoken to Harris in person about the incident and “given advice”.
Two men, believed to be the same probation workers who dropped him off when he was let out of prison, also paid him a visit.
Harris, who lives with wife Alwen Hughes, was seen leaving his house with two women but did not respond to questions from journalists.
Earlier police community support officers had been seen outside the school as children arrived for lessons.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Justice revealed it was investigating the incident and would take “appropriate action”.
Harris is understood to be on the sex offenders register, but it is not clear if he breached the terms of his licence after he was released from HMP Stafford having served around half his sentence.
An MoJ spokesman said: “When sex offenders are released they are subject to strict licence conditions and are liable to be returned to custody for breaching them.”
A parent of a Year 5 pupil at the school said: “We got a very odd email yesterday and we knew it was going to be him. I think it’s very odd, the whole thing.
“I know my child is safe and I completely trust the school but it’s just a bit strange and I feel a bit uneasy about why he did it.
“What was he doing there? I feel like it was a really bad judgment think his enough.”
The parent, who did not wish to be named, added: “It’s never been an issue before, but now having to explain to my child who he was and some of the stuff he had done. The conversation was forced upon me.”
A police spokesman said: “Thames Valley Police was called to Oldfield Primary School after a report was made that a man was on the site of the school.
“An officer attended the scene but no offence was committed. No arrests were made and advice has been given to the man involved.” call and excuse is I don’t effective Harris at the school, where he claimed to be talking to a wood sculptor. The head asked him to leave Mon-Thurs 8.30am-7pm, Fri till 5pm, Sat 9am-3pm