The state government has lost a landmark case involving the illegal strip search of a woman by NSW Police at a music festival in 2018.
Sydney woman Raya Meredith was awarded $93,000 in damages.
What's next?
The case is part of a broader class action which extends to police strip searches at music festivals from 2016.
No1 - 2mon
Good.
No strip searches. Get rid of dog 'alerts' while we're at it.
Let's have real policing that's backed by valid research and proven to work.
18
Zagorath - 2mon
More to the point, what was she being strip-searched for?[^1] I can't see any case in which even a non-invasive search for drugs at a music festival is appropriate. If there was suspicion of someone carrying a gun or a knife, maybe some searches would be appropriate. But drugs should be supported with safe and private pill testing, not with aggressive police action.
[^1]: rhetorical. The answer is drugs.
9
theskyisfalling @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 2mon
"OMG you want to get high and have a really good time whilst connecting with your fellow humans on a level that isn't possible whilst sober. How dare you presume you have the choice to put what you like into your own body"
Fuck the police, fuck all those cunts.
7
Zagorath - 2mon
The article mentions that the police have not apologised, and it's a little vague on whether strip searches are still employed as a NSW police tactic (but seems to kinda imply the answer is yes). It's completely silent on the matter of what happened to the specific officers involved in Meredith's case, if anything.
zero_gravitas in news
NSW government loses music festival strip search case as woman awarded $93,000 in damages
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-30/nsw-government-loses-landmark-police-strip-search-festival-case/105833654Good.
No strip searches. Get rid of dog 'alerts' while we're at it.
Let's have real policing that's backed by valid research and proven to work.
More to the point, what was she being strip-searched for?[^1] I can't see any case in which even a non-invasive search for drugs at a music festival is appropriate. If there was suspicion of someone carrying a gun or a knife, maybe some searches would be appropriate. But drugs should be supported with safe and private pill testing, not with aggressive police action.
[^1]: rhetorical. The answer is drugs.
"OMG you want to get high and have a really good time whilst connecting with your fellow humans on a level that isn't possible whilst sober. How dare you presume you have the choice to put what you like into your own body"
Fuck the police, fuck all those cunts.
The article mentions that the police have not apologised, and it's a little vague on whether strip searches are still employed as a NSW police tactic (but seems to kinda imply the answer is yes). It's completely silent on the matter of what happened to the specific officers involved in Meredith's case, if anything.