General Chat

You do know......HIS family will not believe he is GUILTY

I suppose if there's £11m there'd be enough for a payout for his victims as well as pay for care for his poor wife and to leave his children comfortable.

Pain feels sharper when inflicted by our own kind or those closest family.

I hope he loses the LOT

I do feel for his family (if they didn't know)

However, I had a school friend in the early 80s and she was subjected to this sort of sh#t (from her own father) and didn't own up until a couple of years ago

Her life has been fooked

I guess the victims could take out civil actions for compensation against his £11m estate.

I hope they do!

Yes it's bloody lenient.

He should have got at least 12 yrs even going back to 1986.

and there seems to be more coming out on Rolf

Harris was prosecuted based on the law at the time of his offences, when the maximum sentence for indecent assault was two years in prison, or five years for victims under 13. ( Source BBC)

He should think himself lucky, the perverted bas#ard that he is

I feel there will be more, including a 70s PM

Without being privy to all the facts I won't comment on the sentence that was handed down, that said, I think any person who sexually abuses young people should be given the maximum sentence possible - after taking all the circumstances into account.

He was was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault and I believe, if I am wrong someone will correct me, that the maximum tariff for this crime at the time they were committed, is 2 years per count, that would make the maximum sentence the judge could have imposed = 24 years.

If someone requests the Attorney General to review a sentence, he has a duty to review it, and after consideration of all the circumstances of the case, it is for Attorney General to decide whether he considers the sentence to be unduly lenient or not.

In respect of compensation, I have no doubt that the lawyers for the victims, already have their briefs ready & waiting, for actions in the civil courts - what the judge said was basically, that as part of his judgement, he was not going to make any compensation orders against Rolf Harris.

Is the sentence 'Lenient'?

From information given in other cases, the Judge has to sentence according to the tariff applicable at the time of the offence(s). The Judge could recommend no parole rather than increase the length of the sentence. Otherwise he could be out within two years.

I'm glad that he doesn't have to pay his victims compensation. Its no punishment to him, but it is to his innocent family. Their only 'crime' is to believe in his denials.

It has been reported that someone has contacted the Attorney General's office and requested that the sentence imposed on Rolf Harris be reviewed under the provisions of - the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.

Cases are usually referred to the Attorney General by the Crown Prosecution Service, but it is open also to victims, their families, members of the public and MPs to ask for review.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme allows anyone to refer a sentence to the Attorney General for consideration. In the vast majority of cases judges impose sentences which are appropriate to meet the justice of the case, but the scheme provides an important safeguard in those few cases in which the sentence falls significantly outside the proper range.

From the press articles that I've seen of HMP Wandsworth, his entire sentence should be served there

Who'd want a perverts money though?

Allan - I would think they will be able to seek compensation through the civil courts, he will probably spend a few days in HMP Wandsworth while they find a nice comfortable open prison for him to serve sentence.

Presumably his victims can still take civil action for compensation

On one BBC report they are saying that Rolf Harris is likely to serve onlt about half the sentence in prison and that he was told he will not have to pay compensation to his victims, however, the judge said he could have to pay the costs of the prosecution.

If he gets ill while in the nick,he will be taken to hospital and serve his sentence in hospital.

then his family will be able to visit him...

I know what I would do with him....

he will be dead before he gets out :-(

That Judge has been too lenient with him because of the sob story his defending council gave to the court.

His wife's only carer what when the daughter has been in court every day shows the daughter ain't got a proper job.

He should have got at least 12 yrs in my opinion.

Suicide watch for the 1st 6 weeks then Rule 46.

At his age and with his health conditions he'll probably be dead before he's released.