Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Woman Sues Police For "False Imprisonment" After Spending Night In Jail For Missing Court Date

Woman Sues Police For "False Imprisonment" After Spending Night In Jail For Missing Court Date
Darrin Klimek/Getty Images

An Australian woman is suing local authorities after she was jailed for missing a court date in which she was scheduled to testify against her ex-boyfriend.


"Sarah" had filed assault charges against her former partner but failed to appear at the trial out of fear of bodily harm. Her attorney, Michelle Cohen, a senior solicitor at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), said the experience was "distressing, insulting, and humiliating.

The suit alleges that Sarah's ex broke into her house and assaulted her after Sarah ended the relationship.

"He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, property damage, and entering a dwelling with intent to cause harm," reported BuzzFeed. Cohen explained that Sarah's ex threatened her and pressured her to not attend the trial.

"Prior to attending court our client's ex-partner put pressure on her to not attend court and threatened her in relation to number of matters," Cohen said. "She told police she didn't want to go to court due to the stress it would cause her."

Sarah, a victim of domestic violence who was threatened, ended up in jail for failure to appear.

Giphy

A local magistrate issued a warrant for Sarah's arrest after she failed to appeared for court. Sarah has since filed a lawsuit against New Sales Wales police for false imprisonment. Cohen said they only justification for arresting someone for failing to appear is the intention to bring them to court, not to treat them like a criminal.

Giphy

"Our key position is that when a court issues a warrant to compel a witness to appear before it, police should understand that their power to arrest is only to bring the person before a court, and if they're unable to do that they should release the person," Cohen said.

NSW Police told BuzzFeed News: "As this matter is currently before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case."

Cohen explained that victims of domestic violence should be encouraged to come forward and attend court, and that jailing them, including Sarah, serves only to "re-victimize them or make them reluctant to seek police assistance".

More from Trending

Pedro Pascal; JK Rowling
Toya Sarno Jordan/Getty Images for Disney; Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Opens Up About Why He Called Transphobe JK Rowling A 'Heinous Loser'

Actor Pedro Pascal recently explained why he said Harry Potter author and anti-trans activist JK Rowling behaves like a "heinous loser," and suffice it to say he has absolutely no regrets.

The comment came in reference to Rowling gloating over the U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision to define what exactly constitutes a "woman" in the eyes of U.K. law, a decision that subjects trans people to violence, among other problems.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance
Johannes Simon/Getty Images

Vance Dragged After Making Cringey Middle Finger Joke About 'Pink-Haired People' At GOP Dinner

Vice President JD Vance was criticized profusely after he attempted to make a joke mocking liberals during his appearance at the Ohio Republican Party dinner this week—only to have people calling out his lack of class for holding up his middle finger as he delivered the punchline.

Vance was in the middle of giving the event's keynote speech when he said the following:

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Posting Disturbing Parody Music Video About His Attack On Iran

President Donald Trump is facing harsh criticism after he shared a music video featuring the 1980 song "Bomb Iran"—a parody of The Regents song "Barbara Ann" that is best known for being covered by the Beach Boys—amid a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that could further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

The controversial parody song by Vince Vance & the Valiants plays over footage of B-2 stealth bombers, the same aircraft used to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment plant, Natanz complex, and Isfahan site.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Zohran Mamdani
Omar Havana/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump Just Tried To Slam Zohran Mamdani's Looks And Voice—And It Was Projection At Its Finest

President Donald Trump lashed out at Zohran Mamdani after the 33-year-old democratic socialist handily defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday—only to be called out for projecting his own feelings of inadequacy onto the star candidate.

Mamdani ran a campaign centered around economic populism, arguing that the city, a global financial center, has grown unaffordable for everyday residents, citing soaring rents and grocery prices, and outlining policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.

Keep ReadingShow less
salad
Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Doctors Explain Which Seemingly 'Healthy' Foods Aren't All That Good For Us

Every day it seems like some new health fad pops up.

Eat this, don't eat that.

Keep ReadingShow less