Latest news with #privacyLaws
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
New Zealand PM floats privacy laws after staffer accused of filming women
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is seen at Hyde Park Corner in London, U.K., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Wellington, New Zealand -- New Zealand's prime minister floated new privacy laws on Thursday after his own press secretary was allegedly caught taping sex workers without consent. Senior aide Michael Forbes resigned after a local news outlet alleged he covertly recorded audio of sessions with sex workers and secretly photographed women at the gym. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was 'shocked' -- but it was unclear whether Forbes had broken the law. 'If you're a New Zealander you ask quite legitimate questions about how does this behaviour happen, and is it legal or illegal,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'I have that same reaction to it as well.' Luxon flagged new privacy laws could be drafted to clear up the legal grey area. Forbes -- who was Luxon's deputy chief press secretary -- apologized in a statement sent to media. 'I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed,' he said. The scandal came to light after a sex worker noticed Forbes's phone was recording audio while he took a shower, according to an investigation published Wednesday by New Zealand news outlet Stuff. Forbes phone was then found to contain photos of women in compromising positions at the gym, and a video shot through a window showing women getting dressed at night, Stuff reported. 'In the past, I was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress, and when confronted with the impacts of my behaviour a year ago, I sought professional help, which is something I wish I had done much earlier,' Forbes said in a statement. 'What I failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologize.' By Ben Strang, AFP
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
New Zealand PM mulls privacy laws after aide ‘secretly recorded sex workers'
New Zealand's prime minister has suggested introducing new privacy laws after his deputy press secretary was allegedly caught making audio recordings of sex workers without consent. Michael Forbes, a senior aide, resigned after the local news outlet Stuff alleged he covertly recorded audio of sessions with sex workers and secretly photographed women at the gym. The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said he was 'shocked' by the news – but it was unclear whether Forbes had broken the law. 'If you're a New Zealander you ask quite legitimate questions about how does this behaviour happen, and is it legal or illegal,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'I have that same reaction to it as well.' The manager of a Wellington brothel where the recordings allegedly took place told the broadcaster RNZ that privacy laws needed overhauling when it came to recording people without their knowledge. 'This is an issue for all women. Women are being recorded, photographed, filmed without their consent or knowledge and heaven only knows where it's ending up. This is the main issue and that's what needs to be focused on.' Luxon said new privacy laws could be drafted to clear up the legal grey area. 'I'm open to looking at our settings again as we go through this experience. We have a series of laws, whether it's the harmful digital bill, whether it's the privacy laws, or now new stalking laws, but we're open to looking at that further as well,' he said. The incidents were investigated by police but did not lead to any charges, Luxon said, and occurred after Forbes had been vetted to work for the social development minister, Louise Upston. Forbes had an obligation to declare those incidents to the prime minister's office 'because it impacts the office and the reputation of the office, for obvious reasons', Luxon said. 'But that didn't happen.' In a statement to RNZ, DI John Van Den Heuvel, the Wellington district manager of criminal investigations, said police also found 'a number of photos and video of women in public spaces, and what appears to be women in private addresses, taken from a distance away'. Police considered the available evidence and concluded it did not meet the requirements for criminality, and therefore charges could not be filed, he said. 'The individual concerned voluntarily spoke with police and admitted to taking the images and recordings. He was reminded of the inappropriateness of his behaviour and encouraged to seek help,' he said. Forbes deleted the images in the presence of police. Police were unable to progress the matter further, but should any new information arise, it would be 'thoroughly considered', Van Den Heuvel said. The police commissioner, Richard Chambers, told the media on Thursday the Department of Internal Affairs would conduct a 'deep dive' into what had happened. Chambers said the allegations were 'obviously very concerning' but did not believe police had erred by not charging Forbes. 'I have faith in the decisions that have been made based on the [information] that's been available to the investigation team or district crime manager in Wellington,' he said. Forbes, a former journalist who became Luxon's deputy chief press secretary in February, apologised in a statement sent to the media. 'I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed,' he said. 'In the past, I was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress, and when confronted with the impacts of my behaviour a year ago, I sought professional help, which is something I wish I had done much earlier. 'What I failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologise. Instead, I tried to move on without offering those I had harmed the acknowledgment, accountability, or amends they deserved. I recognise how wrong that was.' 'I understand that my past actions may have undermined the trust people place in me. So I have resigned from my job to focus on the work I need to do.'
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
NZ PM mulls privacy law shake-up after aide accused of filming women
WELLINGTON, June 5 — New Zealand's prime minister floated new privacy laws on Thursday after his own press secretary was allegedly caught taping sex workers without consent. Senior aide Michael Forbes resigned after a local news outlet alleged he covertly recorded audio of sessions with sex workers and secretly photographed women at the gym. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was 'shocked' — but it was unclear whether Forbes had broken the law. 'If you're a New Zealander you ask quite legitimate questions about how does this behaviour happen, and is it legal or illegal,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'I have that same reaction to it as well.' Luxon flagged new privacy laws could be drafted to clear up the legal grey area. Forbes — who was Luxon's deputy chief press secretary — apologised in a statement sent to media. 'I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed,' he said. The scandal came to light after a sex worker noticed Forbes's phone was recording audio while he took a shower, according to an investigation published Wednesday by New Zealand news outlet Stuff. Forbes phone was then found to contain photos of women in compromising positions at the gym, and a video shot through a window showing women getting dressed at night, Stuff reported. 'In the past, I was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress, and when confronted with the impacts of my behaviour a year ago, I sought professional help, which is something I wish I had done much earlier,' Forbes said in a statement. 'What I failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologise.' — AFP
The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Why can't the Liverpool parade suspect be named? Dad-of-three businessman held over ‘rampage' which injured 79
Jamie Phillips, Assistant News Editor Published: Invalid Date, THE Liverpool parade suspect has been in custody since 79 fans were injured during celebrations in the city on Monday. The suspect, a 53-year-old white British man, is believed to be a dad-of-three businessman who ran a now-dissolved firm. 5 5 5 He is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs and dangerous driving offences. However, he cannot be named due to strict legal reasons. From the moment of the arrest, speculation has surged online over the name of the suspect. But the press and public are restricted in the details that can be disclosed regarding identity once an arrest has been made. A suspect who has been arrested and not yet charged is entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy. It means the details that can be made public are usually limited to sex, age and a rough location of where they are from. The standpoint was given further credence following a Supreme Court ruling in 2022, which concluded that a person under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Essentially, a suspect cannot be named until they are charged with a particular offence. Publication of a name prior to charge may be in breach of privacy laws and defamatory if the allegations are later proven to be false. Contempt laws also apply from the moment of arrest, acting to prevent the publication of any material that creates a substantial risk of prejudicing a jury at a potential future trial. Thousands of people line streets for Liverpool's Premier League title parade as iconic DJ drafted in as special guest Police have 24 hours to question an individual suspected of committing a crime. In this case, cops were given "further time to continue questioning him" on Wednesday. A request for an extension to custody time is usually made through a magistrates' court, but can be authorised by a police superintendent when an individual is suspected of committing a serious crime. If the suspect is charged, police will usually publicly release their name and street address - thus avoiding any chance of misidentification. To reach a point where a charge is brought, police forces consult the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). When considering whether a suspect should be charged, lawyers assess a key question of whether there is a "realistic prospect of conviction?". If the answer is yes and the individual is charged, police stop all questioning and the suspect will appear in court later the same or the following day. Police have until today to either bring charges, release him, or apply for a further extension. It comes as the horrified wife of the Liverpool suspect is said to have only found out about the incident when she saw her car on TV. Neighbours of the suspect said he was 'quiet' and 'didn't go out partying'. Yesterday a neighbour in the city 's West Derby suburb revealed the suspect's wife's shock 'when she saw her car on the TV news'. The neighbour added: 'The wife is a really nice woman and they have children. "No one can believe this has happened. 'She first realised when she saw it was her car on the telly, when she saw it being driven at the parade. "The normal police cars turned up at teatime then Matrix vans turned up later that night. 'Everyone's just in shock. I genuinely don't know what's happened. "They seem like a nice family.' Police have been scouring dashcam content and CCTV to piece together the driver's movements. Officers believe he gained access to the packed street, which had been blocked off, by tailgating an ambulance as paramedics entered to treat a man suspected of suffering a heart attack. 5 5
