The Rolf Harris affair
With the conviction of Rolf Harris on 12 counts of sexual corruption, it is difficult to know what aspect of the whole affair is virtually shocking. Is it the length of time that Harris was agile equally an abuser? Or the historic period of his victims—i as immature as vii? Or the devastating impact of his actions on his victims? Or his grooming of his daughter's best friend over several years? Or the fact that child pornography was found on his computer from every bit recently equally 2 years ago? Or his arrogant defiance in which he refused to offering any explanation or apology—symbolised by wearing his 'lucky tie' with matching briefcase to hear the verdict?
Harris was prodigiously talented. A serious sportsman, he was an Australian junior national champion and narrowly missed out on winning a place in the Australian Olympic team. At the same time, he was winning prizes for his art, and receiving serious training in impressionist painting techniques. I remember equally a child being entranced equally he conjured extraordinary images from a blank wall, and with our children we used to enjoy listening to his archetype songs he wrote and performing in his function as an entertainer. All that is lost—but pales into insignificance in comparison with the damage done to individuals.
I have been struck at how response to these horrors resonates with some biblical themes. To 'remember someone'southward name no more' is the ultimate sanction (Hosea ii.17, Ps 83.4) and continuing a name was a major concern in having offspring. If someone was childless, apart from practical concerns, a major fear was that their name would be forgotten. Just equally at that place is now no-one in Deutschland with the surname 'Hitler', everyone who was associated with Rolf Harris is hurrying to remove his proper name, even digging upwards plaques and memorials.
And in a civilization which is generally uncomfortable with notions of sin and judgement, no-1 hesitates to names this equally evil and call for appropriate retribution. In fact, the final shocking thing has been the lenience of the sentence (5 years and 9 months, which would work out in practice at 3 years in jail), which arises from the principle that people are sentenced in accordance with the law in place at the time of the offence. There is some logic in this—all the same nosotros would not hang someone now who was convicted of a murder in 1963. And given that the change in sentencing, specially in cases of sexual abuse, has arisen considering the previous sentencing guidelines were shown to be wrong and unjust, it seems strange to exist continuing to follow such guidelines.
One time the immediate questions of this case accept settled, there are some wider issues to consider. The most immediate is: what other leading figures will at present be establish out? If there really has been not only kid corruption but an establishment cover upward, will this threaten the very basis of Parliamentary democracy? Given the distrust of politicians, will this confirm the views of the most sceptical sceptics?
And the questions run even deeper than this. Our culture is prone to depict itself as the end-bespeak of homo cultural evolution; how could they, in the past, have had the views they did, when we now know and so much better? Nosotros take at present attained the cease-bespeak of human maturity and enlightenment. Just of course that is exactly what the 1960s thought near itself. And it is precisely that culture of sexual liberation which created the context for Jimmy Savile'due south abuses, and which prevented people from request serious questions at the time. Our presumption hither lacks perspective, which Giles Fraser helpfully corrects in discussing the connection between consumerism and the correct to die:
When the moral history of the 21st century comes to be written, I predict we will look back with horror at how the word 'choice' became a sort of cuckoo in the nest, driving out all other values…The moral language of the supermarket has become the only moral currency that is accepted.
Information technology wouldn't be unfair to characterise Harris' offences as a symptom of (male) corruption of celebrity ability. Even so we at present live in a civilisation where celebrities are more than revered and influential, not less. Worse than this, the rapidly growing imbalance of financial resources ways that many leaders in business, civilization and politics have almost countless resource: the contemporaneous trial of Andy Coulson was almost in jeopardy simply because the defendants' legal team was far amend resourced than the prosecution team, only because of the defendants' personal wealth. And we also live in an age where, despite a greater awareness of the importance of consent, substantial sectors of society assume that casual sexual encounters are the norm. This seems to be the compatible assumption of popular entertainment, whether dramatic or 'docusoap'.
It could be argued that the Harris episode marks a watershed, encouraging victims to speak out. But information technology is not clear that there actually is a new civilisation of openness. All the bear witness from the use of the Freedom of Information Act is that people now simply exercise not write things downwardly or e-mail whatever more, merely communicate in an alternative, less traceable way. Those nosotros might want to probe in twenty years' time will likely have found better ways to conceal themselves.
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