Alice Patterson bravely speaks out about her sexual assault

The Brisbane woman who began a relationship with the brother of one of Australia’s most famous influencers at just 13 before he later admitted raping her has broken her silence.

Sexual assault survivor Alice Patterson pictured after speaking to The Courier Mail Picture David Clark

The Brisbane woman who began a relationship with the brother of one of Australia’s most famous influencers at just 13 before he later admitted raping her has broken her silence, saying she is still trying to rebuild her life.

Alice Patterson, now 20, was in year 7 at the same high school as Atis Paul – the brother of Only Fans star Anna Paul – who was 16 and in year 11 at the time she alleges he began watching her around campus and making inappropriate comments about her appearance.

Alice, who has given The Sunday Mail permission to identify her, said Atis began pursuing her when she was just 12. By the time she turned 13, he started “love-bombing” her online, convincing her they were soulmates.

“I just thought it was love,” Alice said.

“His strategy was to convince me that he was going to be my husband in the future, so everything he would tell me to do, I would kind of do, thinking that he had the best interests for me, but he didn’t.”

Social media pictures of Instagram influencer Atis Paul Picture Instagram

Instagram influencer Atis Paul Picture Instagram

Their relationship, which Alice now describes as coercive, lasted nearly a year.

During that time, she said Atis controlled her appearance, isolated her from friends, and forbade her from telling anyone about their sexual relationship, while allegedly boasting about it to gym friends. “He immediately wanted me to start dressing older, wearing make-up. I thought I was in love, but I was being controlled,” she said.

When her father became concerned and contacted police, he was told there was little that could be done. But Alice said she was unravelling and, at 14, ended up in a hospital emergency room.

“That night, I ended up going to the ER because my thoughts were so bad, and he (Atis) didn’t even care,” she said.

“He just completely disregarded that, thought I was doing it for attention, and then when I came back from that, he just tried to manipulate the situation into getting me to say sorry to him and feel bad.”Alice said things only got worse after the break-up.

Three years later, she posted a vague TikTok message highlighting age-gap grooming – but didn’t name Atis. What happened next was chilling.

Alice received a cease-and-desist legal letter. It acc­us­ed her of making false claims of being a victim, and threatened defamation action if she didn’t stay silent.

“I was disgusted, and I just thought, like, his power is in getting me to stay silent, so the only thing I can do is not be silent,” Alice said.

Alice went to police and provided a detailed statement. “Talking to police felt relieving. I wasn’t scared. I said everything,” she said.

In 2023, Atis – whose legal name is Johannes Theodor Paul – was sentenced in Southport District Court after pleading guilty to three counts of carnal knowledge of a child aged 12 to 16. Despite the seriousness of the charges, no conviction was recorded. He was placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond, ordered to pay $1000 in compensation, and released on a $1500 recognisance. The case was dealt with under adult jurisdiction, as the charges were not filed until several years after the offences occurred, at a time when he was well over the age of 18. But while the court case ended, the harassment didn’t. Alice said she was publicly labelled a liar by Atis, with Anna Paul also posting content criticising her.

Sexual assault survivor Alice Patterson pictured after speaking to The Courier Mail (approval given to see her face) Picture: David Clark

After her posts, Alice said her friends abandoned her, she was mocked at school, and received online death threats. “People were mocking, taking all my content, posting it online, quoting my trauma in their Instagram bios, making statuses about me, spreading lies about me,” Alice said.

“I had never been character assassinated before. “They tried to paint that I was clout-chasing and that I wanted fame, which is just so sad to do this to someone. That’s not true at all.”

Eventually, it became too much and Alice dropped out of school in year 12. “I felt so unsafe and unsupported and just, like, isolated,” she said.

“The bullying was so intense that I couldn’t even walk into the classroom.” But now, at 20, Alice says she’s finally found peace. “I’ve been trying to rebuild and heal and not let that pain define me,” she said. “At the time, I was living on my own and supporting myself. I live independently, and I’m healing.” Though the court outcome didn’t deliver the justice Alice hoped for, the public support has offered her something else – vindication.

“Once this had come out, it was odd,” she said.

“Anyone that had sent me hate had gone silent, and actually a lot of people had come forward and said to me that they were sorry for what they had said to me in 2021 and that they realise now that they were wrong. “I didn’t want to be like ‘I was right’. I’m going to move on with my life.”To others trapped in silence, Alice has one message: “You should never, ever, be ashamed of what has happened to you.“So many women have been through very similar things, and it can feel like you’re going crazy, but you’re not alone.”

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or domestic or family violence, call 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au