Overview

• On July 30, Sam Groth and his wife served a privacy-tort concerns notice on the Herald Sun under the new invasion-of-privacy law, demanding removal of the articles and a public apology by deadline or face defamation proceedings.
• Their legal letter from Giles George law firm described the newspaper’s inquiry into whether their relationship began during Brittany’s minority as “malicious gossip” that “named and shamed” an alleged victim without consent.
• If the Herald Sun does not comply, the Groths plan to file a defamation lawsuit, with Patrick George and barrister Sue Chrysanthou representing the couple.
• Premier Jacinta Allan and Opposition leader Brad Battin publicly condemned the reports as an improper intrusion into the private lives of a political family.
• Brittany Groth issued an emotional statement denouncing the coverage as a “gross witch hunt” and separately threatened defamation action against Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas for her remarks.