Her name was invoked by Judge Andrew Haesler in Wollongong District Court yesterday during a heated appeal. Lawyers representing Chady Georges argued he should be let off because of the derision and ridicule his client has been subjected to in the community as a result of coverage of the case in the Illawarra Mercury. Georges was convicted last year of grabbing a teenagers' breasts while working in a busy cafe.

In his submissions, the lawyer said it was a low-level crime; Georges had suffered enough and had apologised for his actions.

The lawyer's argument misses the point. Georges perhaps wishes it never happened. But the fact is, it did happen, and it's not acceptable - ever.

What Georges thought was a bit of harmless fun was degrading, insulting, and, quite frankly, it probably also hurt a lot.

The judge sums it up: "He thought it was a joke, but it was directed at a young woman's breasts in public as she was doing her job. This is what Grace Tame has been saying this past year."

Clint Daniel Corcoran was fined earlier in the year after verbal sexual harassment of a young employee escalated into an unwanted touch on her bottom. In court, the defendant's lawyers asked the victim if she was making her allegations up, and Corcoran said the touching was a 'spur of the moment thing'.

Offences like sexual touch, sexual harassment and sexual abuse are full of shame for the victim. Sometimes they feel responsible for what has happened. They may be scared to report the crime because they think no one will believe them. They may be embarrassed, and often, the incident is traumatising. Corcoran was fined, and yesterday, Georges conviction was upheld. Both men have faced derision from the community, but their shame for their actions is nothing compared to what they put their victims through. Grace Tame's message is being heard, but we need her to continue to roar.

- Gayle Tomlinson

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