“I have no doubt that the course of conduct was a negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom,” Justice Karen Steyn wrote in her ruling. “Over a period of years, [defendant Richard Hall] has repeatedly published false allegations, based on the flimsiest of analytical techniques, and dismissing the obvious, tragic reality to which so many ordinary people have attested.”
A British father and daughter who were injured in a 2017 suicide bombing have won a harassment lawsuit against a conspiracy theorist who claimed that the attack was staged.
According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Martin Hibbert and his daughter, Eve. In their complaint, the Hibberts said that former television producer and conspiracy theorist Richard Hall released a video alleging that the suicide bombing, which killed 22 attendees at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, was staged using crisis actors.
Hall’s videos reiterated a string of bizarre claims and emphasized his belief that “millions of people have bought a lie” about the attack.
Attorneys say that Hall repeatedly harassed the Hibberts, going so far as to film Eve—actions that Hall later defended as integral to public interest.
“However unpleasant Mr. Hall’s published views are considered to be, they are protected [speech],” attorney Paul Oakley said in a July filing.
However, a British court disagreed, ruling against Hall and signaling that it would assess damages at a later date.
“I have no doubt that the course of conduct was a negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom,” Justice Karen Steyn wrote in her ruling. “Over a period of years, [Hall] has repeatedly published false allegations, based on the flimsiest of analytical techniques, and dismissing the obvious, tragic reality to which so many ordinary people have attested.”
The attacker, Salman Abedi, detonated a bomb hidden inside of a “knapsack” as fans were leaving the concert on May 22, 2017. Twenty-two were killed, hundreds were injured, and many more were left with “deep psychological injuries.”
Abedi’s brother, Hashem, was convicted of 22 counts of murder for helping plan the attack.
Martin Hibbert was paralyzed from the waist-down, while his daughter—then 14—nearly died, suffering severe and irreversible brain damage. Eve, notes The New York Times, needs full-time to meet her basic needs.
“We shouldn’t have to face such allegations that the Manchester Arena attack never happened, and that our injuries were not as a result of the bombing,” Martin Hibbert said in a statement issued shortly after the ruling.
“I am really pleased with not only the overall judgment, but also the many comments of the judge as to how unacceptable Hall’s behavior was,” Hibbert said. “I do want this to open the door for change, and to help protect others from what we have been put through in the future.”
Sources
Father and daughter win lawsuit against man who claimed Manchester Arena bombing was hoax
Manchester Arena Bombing Survivors Win Lawsuit Against Conspiracy Theorist
UK concert bombing survivors sue conspiracy theorist for alleged harassment
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