|
Australian-born Harris, 84, was convicted on Monday of
sexually assaulting four girls, some as young as seven or eight,
between 1968 and 1986.
"Following his conviction in UK courts, the ARIA Board has made
the decision to withdraw the ARIA Hall of Fame award bestowed
upon Rolf Harris," the Australian Recording Industry Association
said in a statement on its website.
An artist and musician who presented prime-time TV shows mostly
aimed at children, including one aimed at combating sexual abuse
of children, Harris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in
2008.
In the Perth suburb of Bassendean where Harris grew up, the
mayor said a meeting would be held later in the week to decide
if a plaque outside his family home, and artwork hanging in
council buildings, would be removed.
"We simply cannot tolerate the horrendous crimes which he's been
convicted of, so it is a shock but it's something we must do now
to distance ourselves," John Gangell told the Australian
Broadcasting Corp.
Harris is the biggest name to go on trial since British police
launched a major investigation after revelations that the late
BBC TV host Jimmy Savile was a prolific child sex abuser.
"It's a big shock but, you know, obviously he's been found
guilty and he'll go to jail," said Debra Frawley, a legal
secretary from Sydney.
"...It's sad for the victims but it's also sad that Rolf Harris,
after a fantastic career, this is what he's going to be
remembered for. He was like everyone's favorite uncle and you
don't like hearing that he's done things like that."
Harris, who denied all the charges and said the allegations
against him were "laughable", will be sentenced on Friday.
(Reporting by Lincoln Feast and Thuy Ong; Editing by Nick
Macfie)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
