THE young woman at the centre of the Richmond premiership photo scandal says she has been wronged, despite telling police to drop their investigation.
Her lawyers, Maurice Blackburn, told the Herald Sun on Tuesday night: “Our client maintains that her trust and privacy has been breached by the unauthorised distribution of the photo.
“Her welfare is our main priority, as is restoring her privacy, so we do not wish to cause her any more distress by commenting further.”
The woman claimed she had been a victim of revenge porn after the image of her topless, wearing a premiership medal, was widely circulated online and via text messages without her permission or knowledge.
The player could have been charged under “sexting” laws, under which adults who send intimate images without the other person’s consent face up to two years in prison.
But a Victoria Police spokeswoman said on Tuesday afternoon: “At the request of the complainant the investigation into the circulation of intimate images has ceased.
“This current development does not preclude the investigators from reopening the investigation at a later date.”
The player could still be in line for sanctions as the club continues its own review.
The incident marred an otherwise fairytale win for Richmond, breaking a 37-year premiership drought.
The woman consented to the photo being taken. The player told her it had been deleted but kept it and sent it to friends, who shared it further.
Club spokeswoman Nicki Malady declined to comment on the police investigation last night, but said an internal investigation was continuing.
“We can’t reveal anything at this stage. It is still all continuing,” she said.
The identity of the player has not been revealed.
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