A woman is suing disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris for an alleged molestation in 1982 when she was a 10-year-old foster child.
Harris, 92, is one of three defendants being sued by the woman alongside the State of Victoria and foster care provider OzChild.
Australian-British entertainer Rolf Harris is being sued for alleged sexual abuse.Credit:AP
In July 2014, up to 40 women alleged they were assaulted by the Australian performer.
He was later sentenced to five years and nine months in prison on 12 counts of indecent assault to four women during the 1970s and 1980s. He was released on licence in 2017.
In a statement of claim seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Maurice Blackburn lawyers representing the former foster care child wrote that Harris was allegedly performing at Camp Manyung, where the woman is said to have met the entertainer.
The woman alleged when she was at the camp, she was sitting on a bench while Harris was helping her remove wax from her clothing.
She then claimed Harris lifted her skirt up at the back and placed his hands up her leg and sexually assaulted her.
“The plaintiff tried to call out and scream and she then ran away. The plaintiff told a staff member at the camp about the abuse but Rolf Harris called the plaintiff a liar,” the statement said.
Harris then allegedly left the camp.
The woman will also be making a string of separate allegations of abuse while under the care of the State of Victoria and OzChild.
Maurice Blackburn principle lawyer John Rule will be representing the woman and says the intentional tort will claim damages for battery against Harris, which caused her permanent psychiatric harm.
“Her allegations have always been entirely consistent since I first spoke to her two years ago and through our investigations we’ve been able to corroborate Harris was in Australia at the same time and in Victoria… he performed at the VFL grand final,” he said.
“He has been convicted in the UK of abusing other young girls and in quite similar circumstances [to my client].”
Rule said he was still waiting for confirmation that Harris had been served as the former entertainer lives in the UK.
They expect a trial date to be in early 2024.
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