Festival-goers who were unlawfully searched by NSW Police could be entitled to “substantial” compensation as part of a monumental class action case.
Hundreds of Splendour in the Grass patrons who attended the Byron Bay music festival in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are believed to have been wrongfully searched by NSW Police, a new class action has alleged.
The class action, currently being investigated by Redfern Legal Centre and Slater and Gordon Lawyers, could mean that those affected could win tens of thousands of dollars in compensation each in court.
Some festival-goers searched by police – including people aged under 18 – were allegedly directed to lift or remove items of clothing, strip naked and squat and cough, or lift their genitals so officers could visually inspect body cavities.
Source: ‘Ground-breaking’ class action launched against NSW Police – Lawyers Weekly