Bester's Special Hearing: Justice for Survivors

0:00Nikolas Ackert-Bester, the former teacher who sexually abused Grace Tain when she was 15, now faces a special hearing for allegedly harassing her online. He got jailed back in 2011 for that abuse at Hobart schools. Posts he supposedly wrote could be seen as menacing by any reasonable person. Earlier this week in Hobart Magistrates Court, they said a three-day special hearing starting September 28th. These hearings decide guilt, even if someone's unfit for a regular trial. Bester pleaded not guilty to three counts back in 2023, but got ruled unfit in February due to vascular dementia. Thomas turned her pain into power as a survivor advocate and Australia's of the year in 2021. Bester's health has tanked hard, multiple strokes, falls, brain clot dropping him from high functioning to needing a walking frame in court before. The big sticking point right now is whether an old interview with Bester can count as evidence. Lawyers say a hearing on July 20th will sort that out if needed.

1:02He skipped Wednesday's court appearance. This case keeps unfolding, testing how justice handles the unfit while protecting survivors like Tain Mies stay glued as September nears. I'm Corey with The Story, and you've been listening to Sydney News today, AI-powered local news.