Artist News Legal

Roy Harper “angry” after sexual abuse charges dropped

By | Published on Tuesday 10 November 2015

Roy Harper

Folk musician Roy Harper says he is “incredibly angry” at the drawn out legal case he endured now that all charges of sexual abuse against him have been dropped.

As previously reported, Harper was arrested and charged over allegations that he sexually abused an eleven year old girl several times in the late 1970s. He was subsequently also charged with assaulting a sixteen year old girl in 1980. When the case reached trial earlier this year, he was cleared of two of the seven charges against him, but the jury were unable to reach a verdict on the remaining accusations.

It had looked as though a retrial would be called to reconsider those remaining charges. However, yesterday all were dropped after prosecutors told Worcester Crown Court they no longer felt there was sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.

Outside the court, Harper issued a statement, according to The Guardian, saying: “I have now been acquitted on all the charges that were brought. This case should never have gone as far as this, or taken so long to resolve. The psychological and personal cost to my wife and myself has been enormous and the financial cost hugely unfair. I lost my livelihood and I spent my savings and more, on my defence”.

He continued: “I realise these are difficult issues at this time in this society, and I thank my lawyers for standing by me and working so hard to show the truth. Despite coming out of this without a blemish on my name, I cannot recoup my costs and that’s left me incredibly angry. I’m now going to restart my working life where I left off nearly three years ago. I’d like to thank everyone who’s continued to support me. Thank you, all of you”.

Shortly before his arrest two years ago Harper released his first album for thirteen years, ‘Man And Myth’, through Bella Union.



READ MORE ABOUT: