Former Teacher Who Abused Grace Tame Avoids Trial on Harassment Charges
A former teacher convicted of sexually abusing former Australian of the Year Grace Tame will not face trial on charges of harassing her on social media, after a magistrate ruled he is mentally unfit to stand trial. Nicolaas Ockert Bester, 73, was accused of three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence in 2022, related to public posts allegedly directed at Ms Tame.
Legal Proceedings and Health Issues
Bester pleaded not guilty to the charges in March 2023, but the case has been delayed for over three years due to his deteriorating health, slow court processes, and delays in health assessments. Hobart magistrate Andrew McKee found Bester unfit due to mental impairment, with his lawyers and prosecutors agreeing there was insufficient evidence to show he was fit for trial and that his health is unlikely to improve.
Defence lawyer Todd Kovacic stated in court that Bester suffers from vascular dementia. Health expert Simon Crowe, a professor at La Trobe University, reported that Bester has faced multiple health crises, including at least three strokes, several falls, a brain clot, and other issues in recent months.
Background of Abuse Convictions
Bester, a former teacher at Hobart private schools, was convicted of sexually abusing Ms Tame in 2011 when she was a 15-year-old student at St Michael's Collegiate school. He served one year and nine months in prison for grooming and abusing her. In 2016, he was also convicted over child exploitation material.
Prior to the 2022 charges, Ms Tame, who was named Australian of the Year in 2021, publicly called out Bester's alleged harassment on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The case has been adjourned to April 8 for a directions hearing, though no trial will proceed due to the mental impairment ruling.
