‘Every voice matters’ to overcome evil of child abuse

FIRSTLY, I’d like to acknowledge and pay my respects to the traditional owners of this land; there are still voices yet to be heard.

Prime Minister, fellow nominees, Mum, Dad, Oscar, the rest of my family and friends, Max, Let Her Speak creator Nina Funnell, the campaign partners and the 16 other brave campaign survivors, thank you.

All survivors of child sexual abuse, this is for us.

I lost my virginity to a paedophile. I was 15, anorexic; he was 58, he was my teacher.

For months he groomed me and then abused me almost every day. Before school, after school, in my uniform, on the floor. I didn’t know who I was.

Publicly he described his crimes as “awesome” and “enviable”. Publicly I was silenced by law. Not anymore.

Australia, we’ve come a long way but there’s still more work to do in a lot of areas.

Child sexual abuse and cultures that enable it still exist. Grooming and its lasting impacts are not widely understood.

Predators manipulate all of us. Family, friends, colleagues, strangers, in every class, culture and community. They thrive when we fight among ourselves and weaponise all of our vulnerabilities.

Trauma does not discriminate, nor does it end when the abuse itself does. First Nations people, people with disabilities, the LGBTQI community, and other marginalised groups face even greater barriers to justice.

Every voice matters. Just as the impacts of evil are borne by all of us, so too are solutions borne of all of us. I was abused by a male teacher. But one of the first people I told was also a male teacher, and he believed me.

This year and beyond, my focus is on empowering survivors and education as a primary means of prevention.

It starts with conversation. We’re all welcome at this table. Communication breeds understanding and understanding is the foundation of progress. Lived experience informs structural and social change.

When we share, we heal. Yes, discussion of child sexual abuse is uncomfortable.

But nothing is more uncomfortable than the abuse itself. So let us redirect this discomfort to where it belongs: at the feet of perpetrators of these crimes.

Together we can redefine what it means to be a survivor. Together we can end child sexual abuse; survivors be proud, our voices are changing history.

Eleven years ago, I was in hospital; anorexic with atrophied muscles, I struggled to walk. Last year I won a marathon. We do transform as individuals. And we do transform as a community.

When I first reported, I was shamed and ridiculed by some. But now my truth is helping to reconnect us. I know who I am, I’m a survivor. A proud Tasmanian.

I remember him towering over me, blocking the door. I remember him saying, “Don’t tell anybody”. I remember him saying, “Don’t make a sound”.

Well hear me now. Using my voice, among a growing chorus of voices that will not be silenced. Let’s make some noise, Australia.

Award acceptance speech by 2021 Australian of the Year, Grace Tame.