Rolf Harris - Guilt By Association

In the wake of the Rolf Harris conviction for sexual abuse this week, it has been interesting to note how quickly the raft of celebrities and politicians, who were happy to endorse him during the height of his fame, have been swift in their condemnation, as they rapidly attempt to distance themselves from him. We have seen comments from the likes of Esther Rantzen, Ronnie Corbett and Cilla Black, where not so long ago they, along with their showbiz colleagues, would seek to bask in the reflected glory of association with someone, who at the time, was deemed to have become a national treasure.
The similarity, in terms of the way in which Rolf was able to ingratiate himself, unfortunately smacks of other celebrities who have recently found themselves in the firing line, as more and more victims gain the confidence to speak out about past incidents of abuse. What we must not forget though, is that it is highly likely that there are many, many more victims who for whatever reason have chosen not to come forward, and who may still be living with the consequences of such actions. It is these individuals who often pluck up the courage to contact organisations like Samaritans, where sometimes many years later they are still struggling to come to terms with what they have suffered, and the extent to which it continues to affect their present day lives.
Apparently Rolf even had the audacity to make a video on how children should avoid child abuse; a clear and sickening example of a deliberate ploy to highlight the very crime he was guilty of, in order to deflect attention from his own insidious actions.
What has surfaced during the trial is that Rolf has long been known to have had a dark side; reportedly coming to light on occasions such as those in which his latest artwork might have been unveiled. His response to criticism of his artistic work revealed a less than genial side to his nature, as the glitterati fawned all over him, jockeying for position and becoming prime suckers in the process.
Inevitably, in the wake of his demise, the topic of much discussion is the fate of his paintings. They seem to have disappeared from public view overnight, as those who once lauded his dubious artisitic talents now wish to hide their embarrassment at having fallen into the trap of paying through the nose for something with little merit. There have been calls for his paintings to be destroyed, but I would argue that that they will quickly gain cult status, and will therefore be quite valuable. Better therefore to auction them off, and the proceeds to go to his victims, or to support those organisations that provide help to victims of abuse. There is precedence for this course of action, as Hitler's paintings were seized and sold off, fetching thousands.
The real worry here is the extent to which such devious, manipulative behaviour is carried out so openly, with a level of arrogance borne out of the knowledge of the protection provided by his cosy celebrity coterie. For most of us, whilst disgusted, there remains a certain level of suspended disbelief, because we are not the habit of mixing in such circles.
Closer to home, let's not kid ourselves; it may not make sensational international headlines but this subservise controlling behaviour is more common than we'd like to believe. We cannot, and should not, wrap our children in cotton wool, because this in itself can pose the danger brought about by naivety. However, we do need to be alert, and refrain from falling for the 'because they are rich, famous or in a powerful positon, they must be OK' scenario.
Coffee morning gossip, overheard just this morning, has focused on Rolf's touchy feely behaviour, and the feelings of many who struggle to believe that his motives could have been anything other than altruistic.
It is unfortunately a common ploy for those wishing to exert influence in an unhealthy way, to position themselves within their communities, to become virtually untouchable. One of the most valuable pieces of information I ever received was from my father-in-law; it's not what you know but who you know. It is incumbent upon all of us to be aware of the motives behind those who seek to ingratiate themselves with us and our families, and for us to be more careful of the company we keep, or entrust our children to. Sadly, the lesson for all of us is that in future it will be that much more difficult to be able to blindly trust those who seek to do good, for we will all be looking for the ulterior motive.