Wrong person – Man incorrectly identified as suspect
Client incorrectly identified as violent attacker
Shane’s* picture featured in an article about a violent assault on a group of teenage girls. He had no involvement in any way in the incident. The media organisation incorrectly identified and pulled his picture from Facebook.
Immediately beneath the headline and visible in both the Facebook and Twitter posts was a clear image of Shane’s face next to a screenshot of footage of the violent assault.
Many people viewed and shared the article numerous times on various platforms. It remained online for at least 18 hours. Various other online news sites also picked up and repeated it.
As a result of the publication Shane received numerous messages and phone calls from family, friends and acquaintances asking if had involvement in the violent attack. Various “Facebook sleuths” somehow managed to use the photo to find family members of Shane on Facebook. Those family members received threatening messages directed at them and Shane.
Successful settlement after incorrectly identified picture
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors sent the media company a Concerns Notice seeking a settlement before we had to file the matter in Court.
We successfully negotiated a confidential settlement.
To conclude, our client was incredibly pleased with the result:
“Thanks a lot for taking on my case and dealing with it so professionally. I will be using your firm in the future if needed as well as recommending you to friends and family,” the client told us.
* we have changed the name to protect the identity of our client
O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors can pursue your possible defamation claim anywhere in Australia. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today on 02 9261 4281 or by email at
