A celebrity’s lawyers are asking a British court to keep her name out of the press. He is described as “PPT” in court.
The BBC reports that the anonymous public figure is facing allegations that he engaged in “inappropriate sexual activity with a large number of girls and young women.”
This celebrity apparently wants his name not published in the press, and his lawyers have actually stated that if his name were published it would be “very likely” that he would commit suicide. He apparently fears the “media trial”.
This person denies using “his power and celebrity position to contact and form relationships with young women and teenage girls in order to try to have sex with them.”
Lawyers for ITN and Guardian News and Media (GNM) argue there is no basis “for restricting the publication of public interest journalism”.
The BBC further reports that “a medical report carried out for the court said that inpatient treatment could provide ‘significant, but not complete, mitigation of risk’, but that treatment, perhaps for months, had ‘realistic risk reduction potential.’
What the judge said about this case
Mr Justice Nicklin accepted there would be “significant public interest” and “this is a difficult and important case”.
“The court must determine this fairly, based on the evidence and legal argument,” the judge continued, but cautioned not to try to infer who that person is: “The existence of online speculation, even if confidently expressed or widely repeated, does not entitle anyone to identify, or authoritatively purport to identify, PPT in these proceedings. Nor does repetition turn the speculation into established fact.”
PPT’s lawyer speaks
His lawyer, Sara Mansoori KCsaid that if the identity were revealed it would “have a potentially fatal impact…The only reason they would not be fatal is because the applicant would be locked up and prevented from fulfilling his desire to end his life.”
“This is not a case where an individual has falsely raised ‘mental health’ concerns about an impending publication that they do not wish to happen,” they added. “The plaintiff attempted suicide twice as a result of these events, was hospitalized for months, was subject to involuntary detention, and was examined by several – now more than 10 – doctors.”
This anonymous celebrity “does not intend to return to public life”.
The lawyer for ITN and GNM publications, Gavin Millar, K.C.said many “were traumatized by the plaintiff’s alleged conduct and suffered mental health crises and mental illnesses as a result”, and “an extensive and rigorous investigation” was carried out with very high public interest in exposing the allegations.
Stay tuned as we learn more and head to the BBC for the latest news.
Published on: crime
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