“What a disgrace”: Grace Tame slams footy star’s child abuse verdict
Content warning: This article includes mentions of child sex abuse (CSA) and child exploitation material.
Activist Grace Tame has slammed the Australian legal system after former NRL star Brett Finch avoided jail time for sharing child sex abuse (CSA) material.
Finch, a former halfback, pleaded guilty to one charge of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse in August, but was sentenced to a $1000 two-year good behaviour bond on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old was under the influence of drugs when he left a series of messages on a gay chat-line expressing a desire to perform sex acts on young boys.
In Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court, Finch admitted to feeling disgust at himself for making the calls, saying his intention behind them was to obtain cocaine.
Ms Tame shared her outrage in a series of posts on social media on Wednesday night, describing the verdict as a shame on Australia.
“This pathetic verdict is a shame on our nation. The fact that Judge Phillip Mahony accepted the distorted narrative alleged by Brett Finch that his production of child abuse material was a means of scoring drugs shows just how undervalued children are in Australia,” she wrote over a screenshot of a news story about Finch’s sentencing.
“The buck continues to stop with innocent lives. What a disgrace.
“Let’s be real here: of all the avenues to score cocaine, a paedophile ring is probably THE LAST PLACE you’d need to look. In the words of Robin Williams, ‘that’s like getting chemotherapy because YOU’RE TIRED OF SHAVING YOUR HEAD’.”
The 27-year-old said that whether his story was true or not, the outcome of his actions remains the same.
“It does not change the fact that he produced child exploitation material,” she continued.
“It does not change the fact that he engaged with convicted paedophiles, therefore aiding and enabling the cycle of abuse culture and providing the social cue of legitimacy to a crime against humanity.”
In response to his claims that the messages were just “s**t talk”, Ms Tame said it served to “dehumanise and objectify” children.
“Yeah, that’s all it ever is, isn’t it, just “s**t talk?” she wrote.
“It’s just “s**t talk” to dehumanise and objectify an underage member of your own species.”
During Finch’s sentencing, Judge Phillip Mahoney described the content of the athlete’s messages as “highly depraved” and “morally reprehensible”.
While the maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years, the Crown had asked that Finch be sentenced to full-time custody.
Judge Mahoney found that there were some exceptional circumstances surrounding Finch’s offending, accepting that he had been motivated by a “patently absurd” attempt to source drugs rather than out of sexual interest in children.
He noted that Finch hadn’t created or shared any images and had acted alone and while under the influence, with the offending being “entirely unsophisticated”.
“I accept that he is genuinely remorseful for his offending conduct,” the judge said, noting Finch’s lack of a criminal record and his involvement in junior football coaching and charity work.
The court heard that Finch was at the height of his drug use at the time, which had started in 2013 and peaked with his use of 12 to 25 grams of cocaine a week.
There was evidence that he failed to adapt to life after his NRL career, and that he was ashamed of his actions and had been abused in public, prompting him to rarely leave his home following the arrest.
Under his release order, Finch must be of good behaviour, not travel interstate or overseas without permission, and must undergo drug testing and treatment.
If you or someone you know have been a victim or affected by child sexual abuse, support is available. You can contact Bravehearts on 1800 272 831 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380 for support.
Images: Instagram / Getty Images