Australian of the Year Grace Tame has broken down in tears while delivering a moving graduation speech at the school where she was sexually abused.
Grace was targeted by a teacher while studying at Hobart's St Michael's Collegiate School when she was 15.
Footage has emerged of Ms Tame, now 26, addressing a crowd of students at the school some 11 years later.
2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, revisited Hobart's St Michael's Collegiate School to give a speech to students about child sex abuse and grooming (pictured)
Ms Tame admitted she was uneasy about returning to the scene of the crime, where Nicolaas Bester, 58, preyed upon her.
'We all know why I'm uneasy,' she said.
'I can still remember him playing the piano and I can still feel his eyes watching me as he did.'
At 15, Grace (pictured) was sexually abused by one of her teachers at Hobart's St Michael's Collegiate School
But she warmly remembered how another teacher supported her - and choked up telling the crowd why she never had the chance to graduate from the school.
Over the span of six months in 2010, Bester slowly broke down Grace's support network and left her feeling that she had to work to keep him close to her.
She believes there were a number of reasons why Bester targeted her, including that she had already been sexually assaulted when she was six.
Eleven years later, Grace (pictured) is using her experience and courage to speak out and educate others about child abuse and grooming
In her speech Grace recalls the moment a teacher confirmed she'd made the right decision by speaking up.
'I will never forget Ms Harper going out of her way to tell me she thought I was brave,' she said.
'Not only reaffirming my decision to speak out but also reaffirming much of the work I've done since and still do today.'
Grace (pictured) believes one of the reasons her abuser targeted her was because she had confided in him she had previously been sexually abused at six years old
Eleven years later, Grace returned to St Michael's Collegiate school in Hobart as 2021's Australian of the Year to give a speech about her experience.
Throughout her
