Ulrika Jonsson says Rolf Harris groped her in 'deeply uncomfortable' incident
Ulrika Jonsson says she was groped by paedophile Rolf Harris when she was 21 leaving her ‘deeply uncomfortable’.
The 55-year-old was working as a weather presenter in the 1980s when her paths crossed with the disgraced TV star, who died earlier this month aged 93.
Jonsson said Harris squeezed her bum during an encounter backstage, leaving her speechless - and feeling as though she couldn’t speak out.
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Writing for the Sun, Jonsson said when the pair met she had reached out to shake his hand but instead he chose to lean in for a hug.
Jonsson, who worked on TV-am at the time, wrote: “I remember thinking that was either really flattering or a bit forward. Either way, it was confusing.
“Then his hand travelled down to my bum, gave it a few squeezes and stayed there for what felt like years but was probably only 30 seconds.
“But it was long enough for my 21-year-old self to feel deeply uncomfortable, and speechless.
“I know I won’t have been the only one who fell victim to his hands. Thirty-five years ago we didn’t say anything.
“We didn’t pipe up or call anyone out. Especially not a celebrity.
“Suffice to say, if old, pervy Harris had touched my bum today, he’d have got a knuckle sandwich.
“I guess we’ll never quite know how many victims there were.
“Harris was arrogant and thought he was untouchable. Like so many abusers, he never saw his actions as wrong. If anything, he felt he had the right to touch and violate women and girls.”
In 2014, Harris was convicted of 12 indecent assaults at London’s Southwark Crown, including one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter and two on girls in their early teens, along with a catalogue of abuse against his daughter’s friend over 16 years.
Three years later, in May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences - which he had denied - before being released from prison that later that month after serving around three years of his sentence.
Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was also overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Harris died at his home in Berkshire earlier this month.
A statement issued by his solicitor on behalf of the Harris family said: “This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.
“They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.”
Topics: Rolf Harris, Crime, TV and Film
Claire Reid