Welsh singer Heather Jones opens up on sex assault

Heather Jones performing in 1972

A Welsh singer who says she was sexually assaulted in the 1970s has opened up about the importance of speaking out.

Heather Jones, from Cardiff, said she was attacked by a man while she was in her early 20s and married to the singer Geraint Jarman.

She waived her right to anonymity to recall what happened for the first time.

It comes in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

• How the Harvey Weinstein scandal unfolded

Ms Jones, who is in her 60s, has been at the forefront of Welsh folk singing for decades.

"Everyone has been asking me - did something similar happen to you in the 70s? Yes. I just had to forget about it and carry on, put my heart into my work," she told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme.

"It was awful, I thought he was a friend of mine but he expected something from me. I was married.

"I was very, very upset at the time and didn't feel I could go out on my own or with a group of girlfriends for years."

Heather Jones said nobody talked about sex assaults in the 1970s

She also said she felt to blame and tried to forget about the attack by throwing herself into her work.

Ms Jones added that the 1970s was a very challenging period and that she had to be careful while travelling to gigs and performances.

"A lot of people offered to give me lifts because I couldn't drive at the time and in return they expected to have a kiss or cuddle in the car, even though I was married," she added.

Her passion for music helped her after the assault.

"I worked with some wonderful people, producers, respected people, the Hennesseys, Ryan and Ronnie, Meic Stephens, Geraint Jarman," she said.

"I can say though, that nobody like Harvey Weinstein existed in the Welsh pop world or the Welsh world."

Ms Jones praised the women who have raised concerns about their experiences with Mr Weinstein, adding: "It's important to talk."

"If I had talked to other women at the time, I could have done something about it," she said.

"That's what was wrong with the 70s - no one talked about things like that - everything was hushed-up and that's not right."