South Sydney Rabbitohs mascot Reggie Rabbit creator Charlie Gallico has made a public and emotional apology. This development followed the tragic death of a young, longtime fan. The 81-year-old Gallico copped to doing wrong after watching footage of himself shoving nine-year-old Benji Agius, an avid Sharkies fan. It was a remarkable fact on the night, as the Sharks offered a powerful display in their first ever Grand Final against South Sydney. Gallico admitted his conduct was harmful to the young fan. He noted that they were doing damage to the club’s reputation.
Gallico, in a statement released to Channel 10, felt that he had not violated any laws. After some consideration, and after watching the full video, he came out and criticized himself for this egregious error. He deeply regretted it, he said, and hoped that Benji and his family would be able to forgive him and accept his apology.
Gallico's Reflections and Apology
The sole operator of the train, Charlie Gallico, was heavily criticized after the accident. We explained that in his statement, he should apologize to Benji Agius, and to Mr Agius’s family. He was very sorry for what he had done, his reasoning being that Reggie Rabbit is a cherished children’s character.
"My actions were wrong. I should never have pushed Benji, or any child for that matter, the way I did on Saturday," Gallico stated.
He centralized the conversation back to his true love for children and community service work, even taking responsibility for the wrong approach of serving as the mascot.
"I love children and do a lot of work for charity, in the community and in junior football. I realise Reggie Rabbit is a children's character and my actions were not right," Gallico added.
Incident Sparks Discussions
At the time of the incident, the Rabbitohs organization proactively reached out to a number different groups. They interviewed Benji’s mum, event security, the Sharks and even NRL integrity unit. Conversation was focused on the bereaved families and how to avoid these situations in the future. Gallico gave an eyewitness account of what had occurred. He clarified that Benji called him over and reached for him before the shove occurred.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a former Rabbitohs board member, went to bat for Gallico’s character even though he may not have seen the footage.
"Charlie is a very gentle person … he has been doing it for a long time and he would never try to hurt anyone," Albanese remarked.
"I'm sure if there has been inappropriate behaviour, he would be the first to apologise," he continued.
Moving Forward
In response to the incident, then Chief of Staff Charlie Gallico promised that a mistake like this would not occur again. His dedication to working to make sure every single fan has the best experience possible is stronger than it’s ever been. The Rabbitohs are excited to host more family-friendly events in the future as long as there is a safe and enjoyable environment provided for their younger fans.
