'As low as you can possibly go': Grace Tame shares powerful open letter after publication of viral photo

Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has shared a powerful open letter following the recent publication of a photo from 2014 showing her with a bong.

The image was published on Monday in what Ms Tame today labelled an attempt to "discredit her".

In an open letter to media outlets which published the picture — in which she was aged 19 — Ms Tame today said it "reinforced the imbalance of an already skewed evil", and that it had let her down as an individual and as an advocate of the survivor community.

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"Drugs feature in the broader story of abuse, during and after," she wrote.

"They feed into and compound the many layers of guilt and confusion. Later they become a familiar, go-to means of escape.

"By point-mocking a symptom of a bigger picture, you've reinforced the imbalance of an already skewed culture. You've chosen to punish the product of an evil, not the evil itself.

"This is precisely why survivors don't report. Congratulations."

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The 27-year-old said such public shaming of a sexual assault survivor would deter others from coming forward and reporting crimes.

"There are survivors out there who are terrified of seeking help because they're afraid they'll be blamed for what has happened to them. They are afraid they'll be chastised for their coping strategies instead of being offered support and treated for the cause of their suffering," she said.

"And what do you think happens when they see the mainstream media deliberately brutalise survivor-advocates like me for actions I took when I was 19 and still trying to process something I didn't understand?

"I'll tell you. Their fear is magnified.

"Publicly shaming survivors for their past is as low as you can possibly go."

Much of the reaction to the publication of the photo was in favour of Ms Tame, who thanked everyone who offered her support.

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"I wish to thank the legions of strangers and friends alike from all over Australia who showed up and showed out for survivors by calling out the unnecessary shaming stunt on Monday," she wrote.

"I have never seen anything quite like it. It means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to many other survivors as well."

After her time as Australian of the Year ended, Ms Tame is now raising funds and awareness for a new campaign to remove the word "relationship" from crimes relating to child sex abuse.

Her full open letter can be read on Twitter.