The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Where is the justice for Brett Stewart?

18th June, 2012
Advertisement
Do NSW go back to the future and put Brett Stewart into Jarryd Hayne's newly vacant number 1 jersey? (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Roar Guru
18th June, 2012
70
5715 Reads

In 2009 the entire country suffered an injustice. We did not know, but we were being conned.

Yesterday, the Sydney Morning Herald published a confronting – and quite compelling – story about the Brett Stewart sexual assault allegations a few years back and the miscarriage of justice handed down to him not so much by the law but from society and the NRL. Brett Stewart was going to be the face of the 2009 season, until he – and the Australian public – was conned by a serial conman.

I have no doubt it was a con. The man in question had lived at that address for a time, and despite both him and the daughter saying they did not know who Brett Stewart was, they both named him: first, one “Brett”, and the other “Stewart” separately and in isolation of one another.

For me, it was 2009, the kids are in bed. I jump onto a forum to read about the case as it broke on the first day. The guys on the forum were going ballistic that this had happened to sport once again. They all damned Brett, as if in righteous indignance that they would allow this to upset them.

They joined the firing squad – yet he was not even convicted yet. It was the first night. To me it was a great insight into what is happening in our society – particularly in regards to how we treat our footballers.

Closer to pieces of meat than actual people operating in a real, breathing world.

But something was not right to me about the entire incident and how it occurred. I told the guys on the forum straight-up, even though I had no solid evidence – what, having not seen it, nor being even in the same state:

1. The dad is a con artist. 2. The girl is lying. Why? She was out the front smoking underage, what parent allows that? I said the dad is heavily involved from the very start, lying to police. I told them that I thought he was obviously grooming her and setting up a situation.

Advertisement

They did not believe me. I questioned myself over my claim. I second guessed myself. Then, I reaffirmed my belief.

To this day, even though he was vindicated in court, not everyone believes Brett Stewart either.

Such an absolutely disgusting thing has happened to him. Sponsors won’t touch him. He has paid a dear price for what he was supposed to have done. And a con man still walks the streets of Sydney today, manipulating families, and assaulting his own – and others – daughters in a sick, psychotic web of lies.

Just where is the compensation for Stewart? He may have settled a defamation case from News Ltd recently, but is it really enough?

Brett Stewart, the game, and men everywhere were put under a spotlight.

Is this just a case of a con artist using pre-existing and ill-conceived male stereotypes, especially related to footballers? And if so, why should the story of Brett Stewart’s guilt be run for months, while the story of the man who manipulated the public and destroyed at least one man’s life stay up for one day?

Stewart was a victim. A victim of society’s increasing fear about men and the strength of men.

Advertisement

There was no fairness for Brett Stewart. It’s not his fault. He was up against it the moment he was accused. Unfortunately for Brett and others accused of sexual assault, many people deem them guilty upon an accusation. Many believe where there is smoke, there is fire.

When the accusation took place, everyone jumped on board to put Stewart down, even his own game.

Ultimately I immediately saw the girls’ father as a narcissist and someone who shapes events. I read into the family situation astutely, and noticed that the evidence did not stack up to the statements coming out of the papers. The man was making it all about himself, it was never about his daughter, he didn’t care about her, he was arguing with police.

I sympathise for Brett. He was a victim of far greater society forces than we know about, of which I touched briefly on.

In the future, we must protect our players better. In some ways I understand why the AFL protects theirs vigorously. And yet, that is not perfect either.

Everyone apart from the accusing family and the papers were doing things right….yet are not the papers a reflection of what we like to read, and of who we are as a populace?

I only hope we protect our players better in the future. Brett Stewart was robbed by everything that night. He has only ever upheld himself with courtesy and honesty and class throughout the entire ordeal.

Advertisement

We must protect our players from this burden in the future. And Brett should receive compensation from the NRL, too.

close