Michael McGowan reports for the Guardian
A landmark class action lawsuit alleging New South Wales police unlawfully strip-searched people at music festivals has been filed in the supreme court.
In a statement of claim filed on Friday, lawyers for the group allege police carried out a series of “unlawful acts” such as assault and battery during searches at music festivals including Splendour in the Grass over a six-year period.
The long-mooted action – first revealed by the Guardian in May 2020 – was filed against the state of NSW, and follows a series of controversies surrounding the use of strip-search powers by police in the state.
The claim centres on lead plaintiff, Raya Meredith, who alleges she was made to lift her breasts and show a police officer her genitals during a strip-search at the 2018 Splendour in the Grass festival when she was 27.
Samantha Lee, a senior police accountability solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre, said the case would aim to show that “invasive and unlawful police searches” at festivals “have become routine, resulting in very few charges, but leaving thousands of young people and minors humiliated and severely traumatised”.
“With this class action, Redfern Legal Centre and Slater & Gordon are seeking compensation and redress for the significant numbers of people believed to have been unlawfully searched,” she said.
“We also look to the courts to make findings that will ensure this traumatising police practice becomes the exception not the rule.
“Time has shown that police policy changes and internal education programs will not prevent the overuse of this blunt and harmful policing tool. Ultimately, we need legislative change to ensure safer policing and real change. Until that time, we are looking to the courts to clarify in what circumstances strip-searches are lawful.”
Read the full article: Music festival patrons launch class action against NSW police alleging unlawful strip-searches (The Guardian, 22 July 2022)
