A well-known Briton has lost his request for an injunction against ITN and The Guardian to prevent the media from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a High Court judgment, the star’s request for an injunction was rejected, but a temporary order preventing the man (known as PPT in court proceedings) from being named remains in force pending an appeal.
The case has attracted considerable interest in the UK, sparking widespread speculation on social media about the identity of the man at the heart of the allegations.
“The plaintiff’s application for an injunction has been refused,” Judge Nicklin said in a judgment on Tuesday, according to the BBC and Sky News.
“The court has not determined whether the allegations, or any of them, are true, and dismissal of the complaint does not amount to approval of any publication defendants may choose to make.”
At a hearing, PPT’s legal team argued that the publication would be “highly likely” to lead to his death by suicide after he had already twice attempted suicide.
Gavin Millar, who defended ITN and The Guardianargued that news outlets had a duty to publish information that was in the public interest.
Both outlets seek to publish allegations of inappropriate and exploitative sexual activity with girls and young women based on accounts from more than 30 sources, The Guardian reported.
In a written submission to the court, PPT’s lawyers said: “It is important to understand that this drastic effect on the plaintiff comes not from guilt for the alleged wrongdoing (which is denied) but from shame arising from deep-rooted childhood trauma and fear of ‘trial by media.’
The court heard that PPT had previously attempted suicide twice: in May, when ITN and The Guardian gave him the opportunity to respond to the allegations; and in July, when he fled from a secure hospital.
ITN is the British news group behind ITV News, Channel 4 News and Skydance’s 5 News.
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