Paper charged with breaching name suppression

Police in Christchurch have charged the publisher of the Press newspaper and two of its journalists with breaching an automatic name suppression order.

Fairfax New Zealand Ltd, publisher of the Press, the newspaper's editor Paul Thompson, and court reporter John Henzell are jointly charged with breaching suppression orders automatically granted to the alleged victim of a sexual assault.

In Christchurch District Court today, they were granted a registrar's remand until May 17.

Police confirmed today a complaint had been received from the alleged victim. Charges were laid after advice from the Crown Law Office.

The newspaper article, which appeared last November, did not name the woman involved. The penalty for such a breach is a fine of up to $1000.

Newspaper publisher APN New Zealand Ltd pleaded guilty last month on a similar charge and was fined $600 over an article in its Hawkes Bay Today newspaper that was found to be likely to identify a sex crime victim.

Police in that case withdrew charges against the editor and reporter.

- NZPA