Scroll through this article to find out whether or not the “2021 Australian of the Year” recipient, Grace Tame, is autistic or not.
Grace Tame is an Australian activist and an advocate who is also an advocate for sexual assault survivors. Grace is also a victim of sexual assaults.
On January 25, 2021, she was named 2021 Australian of the Year for her contributions to society.
We’re officially live!
1 in 5 Australian children experiences sexual abuse.
Our purpose is to drive cultural and structural change, with the ultimate goal of a future free from the sexual abuse of children and others. For more information, visit: https://t.co/ALrKGcorMn pic.twitter.com/r6OMwOeKij
— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) December 10, 2021
She helps people understand how psychological manipulation works and how grooming works. Additionally, Grace breaks down the stigmas associated with sexual assault.
Is Grace Tame Autistic?
Yes, Grace Tame suffers from autism. She had an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder when her teacher raped her countless times when she was 15 years old.
Tame still suffers from autism and the long-term effects of the trauma.
Moreover, Grace also had an eating disorder. She had been diagnosed with anorexia when studying in grade 10.
Grace Tame Husband Spencer Breslin
Grace Tame is married to an American actor, Spencer Breslin. Sadly, they are not together and have lived separately for quite some time now.
The couple had exchanged their vows in 2017.
You can find Spencer on Instagram. @ohnospenny is his official account and has 13.5K followers.
Grace is seeing someone, and her current partner is Max Heerey. She frequently uploads pictures of them on her Instagram account.
Where Is Grace Tame’s Abuser/Offender Today?
Grace Tame’s offender, Nicolaas Bester, is released after serving prison. Upon serving jail time, he interviewed renowned sex therapist Bettina Arndt. Bester says that he was the victim, not Grace, in the interview.
He repeatedly raped her, and at the time, Nicholaas was 58 years old.
In the interview, he says, “The majority of men in Australia envy me.” Bester further says, “I was 59, she was 15 going on 25. It was awesome.
After Nicolaas Bester was released from jail, he took part in an interview with sex therapist Bettina Arndt, portraying himself as the victim. It was posted online for everyone to see including Jane Doe who was traumatised all over again, still silenced by Tasmanian law #60Mins pic.twitter.com/YVlBqOLTQQ
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) November 11, 2018
He was convicted and arrested for the offense of “maintaining a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 17”.
In 2010, Tame was a student at the exclusive St. Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart.
Grace Tame Sexual Assault
Grace Tame was 15 years old when her maths teacher started sexually assaulting her. Nicolaas Bester raped her multiple times.
“He put her on a pedestal. He encouraged her to stay in his office after school, and he gave her a key to his office. He tried to visit Grace in the hospital,” Grace’s mother said in a statement.
Her parents complained to the school, and Nicholaas was spoken to. Yet, the grooming did not stop.
Bester was also sentenced for owning child pornography.
In sentencing Grace’s abuser, Justice Helen Wood said she had been “particularly vulnerable given her mental state” and that Nicolaas “knew her psychological condition was precarious.”
Furthermore, Justice Helen Wood added, “He betrayed the trust of the child’s parents and the school’s trust in an utterly blatant fashion.”