Former international footballer Craig Foster hugs his kids.
Apparently, that’s a problem.
Foster, who now works for SBS, is being attacked on Twitter over footage of him with his arm across his 8-year-old daughter’s chest during the national anthem before the Australian Legends v Liverpool Legends match in Sydney last night.
In the footage Foster can be seen moving his arm up and down across his daughter’s chest -which many commenters have criticised as inappropriate.
Come on. Parents hug their children all the time. They don’t see them as a collection of sexulised body parts. They are just their children.
At first it appeared that people didn’t know the girl was Foster’s daughter, but even after that was made clear, the criticism continued.
After the game (which the Australians lost, 4-0) Foster tweeted: “Was very special for all the players to have our children share tonight’s experience as mascots. My beautiful 8 yo daughter. Unforgettable.”
He was immediately attacked.
“At least buy her dinner first you weirdo,” wrote one person.
“Regardless that she’s your daughter the way you touched her is inappropriate. You even stroked her nipple. Very odd,” another said.
Foster responded by saying he would have treated any of his children the same way.
Foster has since told The Daily Mail that he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.
“Well that’s my daughter,” he said.
And he’s had some support on social media as well, with numerous posters coming to his defence.
Foster said the match had been a family affair.
“It was great to have our daughters and sons with us,” Mr Foster said.
Organisers of the match said all the players had been invited to bring their children out for the anthem, and many of them can be seen hugging their children throughout.
“It was a wonderful, innocent occasion for all of the players and their children,” a spokesperson for event promoter Blackbridge said.
Top Comments
What is wrong with the word. A father can't hug his eight year old daughter? The fact that his hand ended on her chest is irrelevant!! She is eight! It's stories like this that make me concerned about becoming a parent and is probably the reason that I don't spend time with my nieces...
I've also walked past clearly lost children in shopping centres, for fear of being labelled a pedophile. We live in a very, very sad world where I can't help these kids in distress out. But why would I, when the outcome will be me getting harassed?
Brent,
You are part of the problem . You are not speaking disrespectfully about little girls, so it might be helpful to everyone if you just read and not comment.
Comments like yours are sexist against females. Girls have bodies that are totally different from men and boys. Learn some biology. Daughters get sick and tired of their dads thinking that her mind and body us his to tickle and touch. Wrong!!! You and all men need to keep yourhandsoff your daughters when they start growing up. Ask your wife or your mother. They will tell you how to behave.
If more women would speak up, we might be able to break men up from doing shit like this!!
That is not hugging.
I watched the footage, it looks like he was trying to find the right place to rest his hand WITHOUT it landing fair and square on her little chest. To me it looks completely natural, a parent and child embracing and being FULLY aware of the situation. There is nothing suspect to be concerned about.
You have GOT to be kidding me. And you are pretending to be a woman! Did you see the video that wr all saw? It us so obvious that he stroked that child's chest, on one breast.
I am a woman and I would not stroke my female hands on any of my daughter's chest areas like that. His big arm was mashing one breast and then he was rubbing with the other.
People please do not excuse this behavior. Think about how an innocent little girl feels at a time like that. That poor child!!