Landmark case sees 2018 strip search victim awarded $93,000 in damages by NSW government

WARNING: This article contains mention of strip searches & sexual assault.

A class action involving 3,000 people searched by NSW Police at music festivals around the state between 2016 and 2022 has had its first result today, with a woman being awarded $93,000 in damages.

The ruling was handed down today by Supreme Court Justice Dina Yehia, finding that the woman, Raya Meredith's treatment at Splendour In The Grass' 2018 edition had been "humiliating.

Following being strip-searched and asked by an officer to remove a tampon while she was naked, the Ms. Meredith launched a legal case, and then became the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit.

Meredith's legal team was quoted as saying that her experience was "akin to things that would happen during a sexual assault", and that she was ordered to "expose all parts of her body" when a male constable walked in on her being strip-searched.

In her judgment, Justice Yehia expressed astonishment that the NSW Police had still not offered Meredith an apology, despite the NSW Government's earlier admission that the NSW Police had acted unlawfully during the search.

Justice Yehia's judgment concluded that the damages award was for assault, battery and false imprisonment. The search found no drugs or anything illegal on the Raya Meredith's person, and the truth of a notebook recording that she "had a smoke of a joint" on the morning of the festival was called into question by the judge.

"The notebooks were noticeably silent as to what made the strip search necessary," Justice Yehia said. "Not one of the notebooks or [police database] entries identified what circumstances made the search necessary."

In a statement, Ms. Meredith shared her relief over the judgment and hope for the remainder of the class action.

"I can say with absolute honesty that I am glad it's over," she said.

"It's been harrowing and traumatising, yet at the same time I am incredibly proud of myself and my bravery, and the bravery of those whose voices back my own with their stories and experiences. NSW police have admitted fault by me and now need to take ownership for the wrongdoings to the rest of the class."

In a statement delivered outside the courtroom, Senior associate William Zerno, a lawyer behind the class action, shared:

"We believe this could render thousands of strip searches unlawful... We're urging the state to bring this shameful chapter of police abuses to an end and negotiate a settlement for the remainder of the group," he said.

His colleague, supervising solicitor Samantha Lee, added, "What [the] message from this case is 'police get your hands off young people and children's bodies'."

In court, the NSW Government argued that if the class action succeeds, it could be liable to pay $150 million in damages. It will return to court at a later date.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor. Find him on Instagram.