4VF News – Daily News Channel

Child protection groups say victims of sexual abuse have been let down by the decision not to appeal the sentence handed down to Rolf Harris.

The UK government announced on Wednesday (local time) it would not refer Rolf Harris’s jail sentence for sex offences back to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration, despite receiving 150 complaints from the public.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright said the five year and nine month sentence would stand.

Harris was found guilty of 12 indecent assaults against four girls, aged between eight and 15.

Because of the date of the offences, Harris’ age, his state of health and his wife’s frail health, the sentencing judge considered that a prison term would be more onerous for the 84-year-old Australian entertainer, and so should be shortened.

Victims groups criticised the decision.

Fay Maxted, chief executive of the Survivors Trust, told the Daily Telegraph she was “obviously disappointed” the sentence had not been referred for reconsideration.

“Generally, sentences for such crimes appear to be so lenient and so lacking in appreciation of what the victims have gone through,” she said.

“The victims have to live under a life sentence, because they deal with the aftermath of these crimes for decades.”

Earlier this month when the sentence was handed down Ms Maxted said the sentence reflected how little society understood of the impact of sexual abuse on children.

“Even using present day law and guidelines, sentencing often fails to reflect the seriousness of the impact of sexual abuse on victims,” she said.

Alan Wardle, head of policy at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, told the Telegraph on Wednesday that Harris’s crimes were “some of the most horrendous possible” and there had been a sense that a tough punishment was required.

However the statement from the Attorney General’s office explained that his hands were tied.

“The Attorney General understands that his decision not to refer the case may be a disappointment to some people; however, he did give extremely careful consideration to this sentence and he concluded that he could not refer it,” the statement concluded.

A sentence will only be referred back for reconsideration if it is ‘unduly lenient’ – falling significantly below the length that any judge could reasonably have imposed.

Under UK law and regulations, Harris is likely to be released on parole once he has served half his sentence.

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The sentencing judge was bound by the maximum sentences in force at the time of the offences, in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

“The overall sentence had to be just and proportionate to the overall offending,” the statement said. “The judge was also required to take into account the age of the offender.”

– Sydney Morning Herald

After six incredible seasons, Outrageous Fortune has gained funding for one more. A prequel.

Local drama has received an $18 million funding boost from NZ On Air to back three new Kiwi series, including West Side Story, a journey into Ted’s murky past.

From the Platinum Fund for TV One, Hillary will be a landmark series about lauded beekeeper-turned-adventurer, Sir Edmund Hillary. The six-part drama has been created by the experienced writing team of Tom Scott and Greg McGee and is based on the story told by Hillary to Scott for his biography.

Meanwhile, on TV2, Dave and Cara’s unconventional love story continues in a second series of Step Dave.

Following its successful first season, the lighthearted family drama is back with the trials and triumphs of blended family life. A spokeswoman for South Pacific Pictures said the full cast was on board for the second season, which will air next year.

A dance production that pays tribute to the strength, integrity, grace and beauty of the female form is about to return to Hamilton in its final state.

Mana Wahine has been a work in progress for more than two years. The production, created by Okareka Dance Company, was first unveiled to the public in February at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

Having already proven itself to be one of New Zealand’s most dynamic companies through its critically acclaimed national tours of Tama Ma (2009), Nga Hau E Wha (2011) and last year’s acclaimed K Rd Strip, Okareka is demonstrating its continual mould-breaking pieces internationally as well. Audiences in the United States, Australia and China have witnessed the power of its work. Most recently the company took its show to The Netherlands as part of the Holland Dance Festival.

Having given Waikato audiences a small taste of Mana Wahine, Okareka will return to Hamilton to unveil the fully formed work in all its power and glory at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts for two performances, tomorrow and Sunday.

Artistic directors Taiaroa Royal and Taane Mete have led a high-calibre creative team to present the true story of Te Aokapurangi, a young maiden from Rotorua who was captured in battle by a tribe from the Far North. Many years later she returned and single-handedly saved her people from slaughter.

The story of Te Aokapurangi has been the pivotal inspiration behind this work. Her courage, determination and fearlessness has fuelled the choreographic style explored and developed in the piece.

Okareka invites leading choreographers, dancers and designers when devising a new work and Mana Wahine is no exception, with Royal and Mete sharing the choreographic floor with World of WearableArt (WOW) artistic director Malia Johnston. It is a process that allows each artist to organically indulge their talents without restriction and achieve high levels of creativity.

It will also be the first time that the choreography will be layered in such a way that it becomes seamless. Performers Bianca Hyslop, Maria Munkowits, Nancy Wijohn, Chrissy Kokiri and Jana Castillo have been selected for this work not just for their experience as dancers but for their experiences as women.

Formed in 2007, Okareka was established to fuse contemporary dance with Maori themes and other genres to create authentic, diverse works. Led by Mete and Royal, Okareka has become one of New Zealand’s most sought-after and prolific dance companies.

Mana Wahine is touring New Zealand as part of the 2014 Matariki Festival’s Matariki Under the Stars tour.

BE THERE

What: Okareka Dance Company presents Mana Wahine

Where: Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts

When: 7.30pm, August 1 and 5pm, August 3

Tickets: $25 to $30, through ticketek.co.nz

Website: okareka.com

Justin Bieber has posted an image on Instagram of Orlando Bloom crying.

TMZ reported the men got into a physical altercation with each other at Cipriani restaurant in Ibiza early Wednesday morning and apparently Bloom even “threw a punch” at the pop star.

The now infamous “punch” has drawn the spotlight on a confusing web involving Miranda Kerr, Justin Bieber (of childhood fame and general brat behaviour), Orlando Bloom, and former Australian power-couple James and Erica Packer.

Footage from the

There was Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buzz Lightyear, gleaming lanterns, pirate swords – and that was just the merchandise. Inside the packed auditorium children dressed as princesses, fairies, kings and queens, not to mention a few adults in Minnie Mouse ears complete with spotted bows, indulged in popcorn, candy floss and fluorescent drinks that just about glowed in the dark.

A survey is planned on how much television New Zealand children watch.

Government funding agency NZ On Air is commissioning a survey on children’s media use, including TV, computers and radio.

It follows a study focused on New Zealanders older than 15.

NZ On Air spokeswoman Allanah Kalafatelis said the tender for research providers closed this week.

It would take a week or two to decide on a provider to carry out the research, and then the methodology and questions would need to be formulated, she said.

It was expected that children would begin being surveyed at the end of this year.

The NZ On Air phone and online survey on 14,000 New Zealanders aged over 15 by Colmar Brunton in April found that more than 80 per cent of respondents watched TV daily, while 67 per cent listened to radio.

More than 10 per cent watched TV using an On Demand function online and 6 per cent used overseas online TV sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Hulu.

The survey found that more than three-quarters of 15 to 24-year-olds watched traditional TV daily and 66 per cent watched videos online (Youtube or Vimeo).

While radio was still popular, music was moving online faster than other content, with young people leading the charge.

Asked where they became aware of new music, 60 per cent of all respondents said on the radio, and 36 per cent said via streaming services such as Spotify, Youtube and Soundcloud.

Among 15 to 24-year-olds the latter figure jumped to 67 per cent.

NZ On Air said this year’s survey was the first independent, publicly available New Zealand research across media types.

The agency funds content for TV, radio and online audiences.

“We will go where the audiences are, so having a clear understanding of where they are and how media consumption is changing is important to our strategy,” it said.

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– Stuff

Christchurch retirees’ cover of Pharrell Williams’ Happy has gone viral for a second time, after an endorsement from the hip-hop superstar himself.

Williams has tweeted a link to Diana Isaac Retirement Village residents’ video and posted it on his Facebook page, with the caption “Wow … 80 Odd Years of Happy!”

The clip has received more than 150,000 hits on YouTube since Williams’ tweet. It now has more than 1.7 million views on YouTube.

Within hours, the video’s star, Alister Leckie, had interview requests from all over the world, a Ryman Healthcare spokesman said.

But international media would have to contend with Leckie’s great-grandson, who has requested he perform at his kindergarten disco, the spokesman said.

More than 60 residents and staff at the Diana Isaac Retirement Village filmed the video over four days in May.

Leckie, 79, also known as “Al Pharrell Williams”, said he had loved the experience and hadn’t hesitated when asked to give it a go.

“Heavens above, you get on and have as much fun as you can,” the retired engineer said.

“It was a great opportunity. I’m not sure why I was chosen but I loved giving it a go.

“I was a bit jiggered by the end of it though.”

More than 400 people attended the red-carpet premiere of the video at the village.

Enjoy again the Diana Isaac Retirement Village residents’ rendition of Happy:

And once again, the original (366 million views and counting):

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– Stuff

The somewhat staid image of ballet will be exploded on Tuesday night when the Royal New Zealand Ballet brings its showcase to Hamilton.

In what will be the troupe’s last season under Ethan Stiefel’s artistic direction, Allegro: Five Short Ballets is hailed as “a powerhouse of extraordinary and diverse ballets” from some of the world’s leading choreographers.

The programme is described by Stiefel as a showcase of the breadth of possible ballet styles.

“This programme features a world premiere from New Zealander Daniel Belton; two pieces from New York choreographer Larry Keigwin, who quickly became a Kiwi audience favourite after the success of his work Final Dress in 2012; a neo-classical work by one of the most celebrated choreographers of all time – George Balanchine; and a brilliant and fun piece from Johan Kobborg.”

Dunedin-based choreographer and designer Belton, best known for his multi-award-winning dance films, has created a new work for the show. Renowned for his cross-pollination of art forms, dance will be integrated with kinetic sculpture, animation and electronic music in an other-worldly piece called Satellites.

The Huffington Post dubbed him “choreographer extraordinaire”, and he took New Zealand audiences’s breath away in 2012 with his style and vision.

Keigwin contributes two pieces to the show. Mattress Suite creates six scenes about love affairs, either on or near a mattress. It marks the first time Keigwin has allowed a company other than his own the privilege of performing his signature work. Megalopolis has been described by the New York Times as a divinely well-structured encounter between formalism and club culture.

Gillian Murphy will make her last appearance as the ballet’s principal guest artist, showing off her virtuoso technique in Allegro Brillante by acclaimed choreographer Balanchine.

Kobborg, who co-choreographed the ballet’s acclaimed 2012 production of Giselle with Stiefel, returns with his signature work. Les Lutins is a work for three dancers and a violinist and pianist playing live on stage.

The New Zealand development prize winner at the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, New Zealander Benjamin Baker, returns home for the tour, and Wellington-based ballet rehearsal pianist Michael Pansters makes his official RNZB debut.

“The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s mixed bills have become an audience favourite and this one guarantees to impress,” the ballet’s managing director Amanda Skoog said.

“It’s a fresh lineup with something for everyone – like a ballet sampler – and a great option for those new to ballet and keen to see its various styles, from the finest classical to the most extraordinary contemporary works”.

BE THERE

What: The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents Allegro: Five Short Ballets

Where: Founders Theatre

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When: 7.30pm, Tuesday, August 5

Tickets: ticketek.co.nz

Website: rnzb.org.nz