Family of daughter at centre of Adam Goodes scandal angry over her treatment by security
THE family of the 13-year-old girl at the centre of the Adam Goodes racism scandal are still distressed over her treatment by MCG security and Victoria Police. The Collingwood fan called Goodes an "ape" with only minutes to go in Friday night's Indigenous Round game and was ejected from the MCG after a long grilling by police. The teen has since apologised for "being racist". The girl told the Sunday Herald Sun she will now "think twice", as she did not realise her denigrating comment was a racial slur. This morning, her mother, Joanne, told 3AW radio that her daughter was doing OK, but she was still concerned about her treatment by security. "She's not doing too bad considering everything that’s happened," Joanne said. "I would like her to get on with her life basically." MCG security told her family to remain seated as they ejected the girl - and police detained her for what she said was two hours. The teenager was initially questioned by police without an adult present. When police found out she was only 13, they went and got her grandmother, Lucy. Joanne said today that she believed her daughter was "very scared" when she was taken away by security. "It was ridiculous that she was in there for so long. For two hours they interviewed her over her saying, 'You're an ape'," her mother told the Sunday Herald Sun. "I hope it's done and dusted. I think it was blown out, for a 13-year-old, it was blown out of proportion. I think she would take it back if she could. I'd just like to apologise to Adam for it being said and apologise to the Collingwood Football Club." Lucy said her granddaughter, who has only just turned 13, was crying in the police room. The police officer told me she had been "very honest with us", Lucy told 3AW. "So to me that means that they had already questioned her without a guardian." Lucy said she initially didn't go with her granddaughter because she had two other granddaughters, aged 14 and 15, to look after. "They shouldn’t have questioned her in the first place without me and security shouldn't have taken her away on her own, they should have taken us all," Lucy said. Joanne agreed that people should forgive and forget, and that her daughter "had no intention of hurting Adam". "It's not as if she swore at him," Joanne told 3AW.
In an open letter to Goodes given to the Sunday Herald Sun, the girl apologised for "being racist". "Dear Adam, it was good to talk to you on the phone. I'm sorry for being racist. "I didn't mean any harm and now I'll think twice before I speak." Goodes said earlier he was shattered but did not blame the teen. 'Racism had a face ... and it was a 13-year-old girl - but it's not her fault," Goodes said.
The teen girl spoke to Goodes and Magpie president Eddie McGuire on the phone to apologise for her actions. Goodes explained to the teen why the use of the word "ape" was insulting to indigenous people and she had to learn from her mistake.
