An Alice Springs newspaper has settled out of court with the family of a young Aboriginal boy whose photo was published on the front page in a story about youth crime in the town.
The boy had been with his family at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs when his picture was taken by a photographer from the Centralian Advocate.
The photo was later published on the front page, in a story about curfews to deal with youth crime. The boy was pictured in close-up, peering through a chain mail fence. His name was also used.
In a statement of claim filed in the Northern Territory supreme court, the boy’s lawyer said the publication implied the boy was “a criminal, a delinquent, that he is imprisoned or detained, and that he is contributing to a crisis situation”.
Lawyer Peter O’Brien told the court that since the incident the boy, who is now 11 years old, has been subjected to “hatred, ridicule and contempt”.
O’Brien said the publication was a “willed act” that showed disregard for the boy’s dignity, privacy and personal security, and had caused “humiliation, outrage, distress and anxiety”.
O’Brien and the NT News, which publishes the Centralian Advocate, both told Guardian Australia the matter had been settled privately and they could not comment further.
