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Teenager 'developed eating disorder after Harris assault' | Teenager 'developed eating disorder after Harris assault' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A teenage girl developed an eating disorder and abandoned her dream of becoming a theatre star after Rolf Harris abused her, a court has heard. | A teenage girl developed an eating disorder and abandoned her dream of becoming a theatre star after Rolf Harris abused her, a court has heard. |
Australian Tonya Lee, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she was on a theatre trip to the UK in 1986 when the entertainer fondled her. | |
She told Southwark Crown Court the incident had left her depressed, like she "didn't have a place in the world". | |
Mr Harris, 84, from Bray, Berkshire, denies 12 counts of indecent assault. | |
He is accused of assaulting four girls in the UK between 1968 and 1986, when they were aged between seven or eight and 19. | |
Three of the counts relate to Ms Lee. | Three of the counts relate to Ms Lee. |
Ms Lee, now 43, said she was 15 when Mr Harris asked her to sit on his lap, before moving his hand up her leg and assaulting her. | |
The musician, artist and TV presenter is said to have met the girl's youth theatre group at Heathrow Airport, later going with them for dinner at a pub. | |
It was there he is alleged to have carried out the assault. | |
Passion lost | |
Ms Lee told the court that the incident left her "petrified" and that she "stopped eating" and would "throw up" during the group's six-week trip. | |
She said she lost weight as a result and had continuing health problems. | |
"I became very depressed," she told the court of her return home from the trip. | "I became very depressed," she told the court of her return home from the trip. |
She stopped going to her theatre group, she said. | She stopped going to her theatre group, she said. |
"I just wasn't there any more, I'd lost that passion, I'd lost that desire. | "I just wasn't there any more, I'd lost that passion, I'd lost that desire. |
"There were days when I'd be lying in bed and I'd find it difficult to function. My schoolwork started to suffer. I just didn't feel like I really fit in anywhere. I used to feel like I didn't have a place in the world." | "There were days when I'd be lying in bed and I'd find it difficult to function. My schoolwork started to suffer. I just didn't feel like I really fit in anywhere. I used to feel like I didn't have a place in the world." |
'Very subtle' | |
Describing the alleged assault, Ms Lee said: "He was moving back and forth rubbing against me. | |
"It was very subtle, it wasn't big movements. Everything just seemed to be going on as normal." | |
The jury heard that Mr Harris then patted her on the thigh and moved his hand up. | |
Ms Lee said she felt "very uncomfortable" when Mr Harris touched her genitals over her clothing. | |
She said she "started to panic" and rushed off to the toilet. | She said she "started to panic" and rushed off to the toilet. |
"I was wondering what to do... and also I was confused," she said. | "I was wondering what to do... and also I was confused," she said. |
"The whole time this was happening just normal interaction was going on." | "The whole time this was happening just normal interaction was going on." |
Waiting for her | |
She said when she came out of the toilet Mr Harris was waiting for her and gave her "a big bear hug" before putting his hand down her top. | |
Ms Lee said she decided not to speak out at the time because the theatre group's artistic director, Kathy Henkel, was a friend of Mr Harris's. | Ms Lee said she decided not to speak out at the time because the theatre group's artistic director, Kathy Henkel, was a friend of Mr Harris's. |
"I was petrified... I was in shock," she said. | |
She said she thought no one would believe her if she said anything "because it was Rolf Harris". | She said she thought no one would believe her if she said anything "because it was Rolf Harris". |
Under cross-examination, Ms Lee admitted selling her story to the Australian media. | |
She said accepting the money had been a "huge mistake" which she regretted. | |
The case continues. | The case continues. |