A prominent public figure is attempting to prevent the publication of serious sexual misconduct allegations, arguing in an “unprecedented” legal case that disclosure could lead him to take his own life.
The celebrity has applied to the High Court for an injunction against ITN and The Guardian, seeking to block reports alleging “inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities with a large number of girls and young women”.
His legal team says publishing the allegations would have a “devastating” impact on the individual, identified in court only as PPT, causing “such profound mental anguish that he would seek to end his life”.
Sara Mansoori KC, representing PPT, told the court: “The defendants wish to publish allegations of wrongdoing about him which he denies and which the evidence is clear will highly likely lead to the death of, or psychological injury to, the claimant.
“They say they have a duty to publish because it is substantially in the public interest, but their assessment of the public interest is wrong. A newspaper does not have the right to publish information at the cost of an individual being killed or maimed.
“The only way [publication] would not be fatal is if the claimant is locked up and prevented from taking his own life.”
She said the celebrity had “very severe mental health problems” and continued to deny the allegations.
Ms Mansoori accused the two media organisations of remaining determined to publish the reports “regardless of whether he dies or spends months in psychiatric detainment”.
The High Court has heard that a “well-known individual” is suing two media organisations to stop them publishing allegations about him
She told the court that PPT’s “body language completely changed” after he was informed in May about the allegations being investigated by the media outlets, and that he entered a state of “extreme panic”.
“He started saying that he wanted to kill himself and would seek to do so,” she said.
“Publication of these allegations would lead to a very substantial increase in suicidal ideation and suicidal acts on the part of the claimant.
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“He attempted suicide in May when he was first notified of the defendants’ intention to publish, and again in July, on that occasion absconding from secure hospital to do so.”
PPT argues that publishing the allegations would violate his right to life and right to privacy, as well as expose him to inhumane or degrading treatment under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Gavin Millar KC, acting for ITN and The Guardian, described the claimant’s case as “unprecedented”.
“His contention is that if the allegations are published he will commit suicide, and the state’s positive operational duty requires this court to restrain [the outlets] from publishing them,” he said.
“Insofar as the state owes an operational duty to PPT, it is discharged by NHS mental health services and practitioners.
“There is a strong public interest in publishing these allegations, which are credible and which [the outlets] believe to be true.”
Mr Millar said the material involved “numerous allegations that [PPT] has, over the course of many years, abused his status…in order to engage in, and/or attempt to engage in, inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities with a large number of girls and young women”.
He said the claims had emerged from a “rigorous investigation” involving more than 30 sources with first-hand accounts, which had been “robustly tested by editorial and journalistic teams”.
A psychiatrist who assessed PPT said he suffered from ‘a chronic but fluctuating mood disorder’ that caused ‘impaired emotional regulation and difficulty coping with shame, rejection, interpersonal loss and severe psychological distress’.
The expert added that his condition is treatable, and if publication occurred while he was in an inpatient psychiatric setting, it would be ‘significantly safer in terms of reducing the likelihood of a successful suicide’.
Mr Justice Nicklin, who is hearing the case at London’s High Court, warned that the trial must be allowed to continue without ‘attempts to identify PPT’.
The case continues.
