Heather du Plessis-Allan: This is the consequence for Ghahraman's actions

Author: Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2024, 6:02PM

Yesterday, after we talked about Golriz Ghahraman's guilty plea, I got a text from someone listening which said something along the lines of- we should feel sorry for Golriz Ghahraman and the media need to back off.

Now, the first part is fair to a point.

I do feel sorry for Golriz, I feel sorry for her in the same way that I feel sorry for my two-year-old when he gets put in his bedroom for time-out and he cries about it.

I feel sorry for him that he has to suffer the consequences of his actions and that it’s not nice for him. But he still has to suffer the consequences of his actions, and so does Golriz.

And the consequences include media attention, as tough as that is for her.

Because the thing is, Golriz courted the media as an MP, so she is the reason the media are interested in her. And she cannot turn that interest on and off when it suits her.

She was the Justice Spokesperson for the Greens, taking the moral high ground on any number of issues.

All the while, we find out, nicking a $650 Bao Bao Issey Miyake Lucent bag and a $4500 black Row Calanthe dress, amongst many other items.

Her lawyer, Annabel Cresswell, told the court yesterday that Golriz's case has been subject to 'aggressive media reports'.

Now, I asked Annabel today to give me a few examples- she still hasn’t.

I didn't see these aggressive media reports. I saw media reports, I didn't see aggressive ones. That’s not to say they definitely don't exist, but I did not see them and I read a lot of news.

So if they were that bad, surely we’d know about them.

It feels like Golriz's lawyer is trying to make the media the bad guys here. The bad guy in this case is the one who stood in court yesterday and pleaded guilty.

I feel sorry for Golriz, I genuinely do. I feel sorry that this is the turn her life has taken, it must be incredibly hard to deal with.

But this is the consequence of her actions, tough as it is- unwelcome media attention included.

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