Grace Tame’s abuser Nicolaas Bester enters pleas to online harassment charges

Grace Tame, her partner and supporters watched on as her disgraced former teacher pleaded not guilty to three charges relating to the alleged harassment his former student via Twitter.

Grace Tame with supporters before going into court, March 7, 2023. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Grace Tame, her partner and other supporters watched on as her disgraced former teacher entered pleas on three charges relating to the alleged harassment of his former student via Twitter.

Nicolaas Ockert Bester, 70, who was jailed in 2011 for abusing Tame when she was in Year 10 while his student at St Michael’s Collegiate, pleaded not guilty in Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday to three charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

Tasmania Police allege the offences were committed via social media platform Twitter on April 27, July 21 and August 28, 2022.

Nicolaas Bester at Hobart Magistrates Court. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The Mercury previously reported that Bester’s account, @nicobester3, was suspended following the allegations.

Defence lawyer Todd Kovacic told the court on Tuesday both he and the prosecution had agreed to hear deal with the matter in the summary jurisdiction, as opposed to committing the charges to the Supreme Court.

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Mr Kovacic said the matter would “benefit greatly” from a contest mention at Bester’s next appearance, which was listed for April 27.

A contest mention is “a type of pre-trial hearing which aims to... narrow the issues in dispute,” according to the Magistrates Court of Tasmania’s website.

Australian of the Year 2021 Grace Tame. Picture: File

Tame, surrounded by four supporters including her partner Max Heerey, left the courthouse immediately after Bester’s plea.

It was Tame’s work with the ‘Let Her Speak’ campaign, overturning Tasmanian laws that prevented her from sharing Bester’s bestial conduct towards her, which shot her into the national spotlight.

It led to her being named Australian of the Year in 2021.

Bester, on the other hand, went back to jail in 2016 for making child exploitation material. He did this by bragging about his crimes on Facebook, describing the abuse of Tame as “awesome”.

In 2019, Bester controversially gained a PhD from the University of Tasmania, with funding from a scholarship, despite being banned from the university’s campuses.