Adjudication No. 1386  (adjudicated March 2008)

The Press Council has upheld a complaint that The Daily Telegraph invaded the privacy of a police officer and his family by unnecessarily publishing residential and family details.

The article published to The Daily Telegraph website on 8 November 2007 and then in the printed edition on 9 November 2007 detailed an assault on an off-duty police officer.

The officer complained that the articles contained sufficient information to identify him, his residential address, the number of children he had and where they attended school. The officer is of the view that the safety of his family and quality of life at their home has been compromised by publication of this information.

In response, The Daily Telegraph said that news imperatives compel newspapers, and the media in general, to provide detailed information to the public on matters relating to crime and public safety. The response also acknowledged that the police media unit had described the victim as a married, off-duty police officer with children. The police media release did not identify the officer.

The Press Council finds that the publication of personal information relating to the officer did not have respect for the privacy and sensibilities of individuals involved, thus breaching the Council's Principles, and the publication of personal details has intruded on the privacy and safety of the officer and his family, in breach of the Print Media Privacy Standards.

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