Bettina Arndt has been in the spotlight before for controversial comments. Photo / News Corp Australia
Bettina Arndt has been in the spotlight before for controversial comments. Photo / News Corp Australia
Commentator and sex therapist Bettina Arndt has responded to public outrage over a sympathetic interview she conducted with convicted sex offender, Nicolaas Bester.
Arndt defended the video interview by saying the sex offender has been "systematically hounded" since leaving jail and that segments of the 17-minute interview, where she laughed, had been "carefully selected (by media) to damage my reputation."
In 2010, Bester, aged 58, groomed and repeatedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old student while he was a maths teacher at the elite St Michael's Collegiate girls school in Hobart, Tasmania reports news.com.au.
When the victim (who cannot be identified) came forward to report the grooming and sexual abuse, Bester was arrested. Police also found 28 pieces of child pornography on his computer.
He was sentenced to two years and six months prison for committing "approximately 20 to 30" sexual assaults, including penetrative sexual assault, against Jane Doe and an additional four months for the child pornography offences.
In 2015, Bester reoffended by making child exploitation material. In an online forum he published graphic and lurid descriptions of the offences he committed against Jane Doe. He also bragged that the sexual abuse was "awesome".
"Judging from the emails and tweets I have received, the majority of men in Australia envy me. I was 59. She was 15 going on 25" he wrote at the time. "It was awesome."
Writer and commentator Nina Funnell is spearheading the #letherspeak campaign. Photo / Supplied
Arndt, who laughed about these comments, said in the interview: "You did something else pretty stupid. I can imagine how easily this happens."
Arndt has now responded to the public outcry saying: "I apologise to those I have offended by the relaxed tone of the interview, particularly in the segments of the interview shown by 60 Minutes which were carefully selected to damage my reputation … [I] find it difficult not to get along with people who are willing to have an honest conversation with me, even those who have made grave errors in their lives."
She continued: "What was missing from the 60 Minutes programme was the context — namely that this convicted sex offender has been systematically hounded by activists since he was released from prison and attempting to start a new life by studying for a PhD at Hobart University (sic) … When someone (who) kills a child is released from prison, we don't see groups of activists hounding him or her and destroying any chance of a new life.
"Even with the most horrendous crimes, we rarely see the type of ongoing persecution of ex-prisoners that is reserved for people who commit sex crimes."
In her post, Arndt claimed that Bester has been the victim of a "ferocious campaign", adding "I regard it as unacceptable" and that it is "untrue" that convicted sex offenders are "likely to prey on other victims."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Bester is currently completing a PhD at the University of Tasmania and plans to travel to Africa to do a music concert for orphans.
Since commencing his PhD candidature, Bester has been reported to campus security and police for two alleged instances of "predatory behaviour" in the university gym. No charges have been laid in relation to these allegations.
Arndt has previously been criticised by sexual assault survivor advocates, after she published that an alleged rape committed against university student, Freya Willis, was merely "regret sex".
Sharna Bremner, the founder of End Rape On Campus Australia has described her latest apology as "limp and self serving."
"Ms Arndt has not addressed the key criticism that she has engaged in victim-blaming by labelling the girl's behaviour as 'sexually provocative', and stating that school girls should not 'exploit their seductive powers to ruin the lives of men'," Bremner said.
Alyssa Milano has joined the #LetHerSpeak campaign so that sexual assault survivors in Tasmania and the Northern Territory can waive their right to anonymity in the media. Photo / Supplied
Arndt's full video response: "Teachers are still really vulnerable because they can easily be subject to false accusations if they reject or offend the young woman in question.
"Here we have a case where evidence of the girl's sexually provocative behaviour was presented to the judge … The question that remains for me is whether there is any room in this conversation for talking to young people, particularly young girls, about behaving sensibly and not exploiting their seductive power to ruin the lives of men."
Jane Doe has said that she would like to meet with Arndt to discuss the matter.
She said: "I don't harbour any ill will towards Ms Arndt, and I would be happy to sit down and have a chat with her to fill her in on some of the conveniently missing pieces in her reporting. I also would really like to know what she would have done. At 15."
The video has been removed from YouTube because it included a photo of Jane Doe and Jane Doe's real identity, including her full name. Jane Doe was not contacted by Arndt prior to publication of the video.
Under Tasmanian law, it is an offence to publish the name of a sexual assault survivor with or without their consent.
Jane Doe has now decided she would like to tell her story to responsible media under her full name, but she is unable to do so because of the state's law.
"This law is so disempowering," Bremner said. "It protects perpetrators by silencing the victims. It also produces a gross double standard, where convicted offenders like Bester can give interviews to people like Arndt, while Jane Doe is denied the opportunity to do the same or to speak out under her real name.
Jane Doe added: "Journalists, commentators, and even my perpetrator have all been able to publicly discuss my case. I'm the only one who is not allowed to. It's not just illogical, it's cruel. I shouldn't be forced to stay hidden in the shadows. The shame sits with him, not me."
The #LetHerSpeak campaign has been launched in support of Jane Doe to amend the law in Tasmania and the Northern Territory so that victims of sexual assault over the age of 18 can choose to waive their right to anonymity if they wish.
