Adjudication No. 151 (January 1983) [1983] APC 2

ADJUDICATION No. 151 (January 1983)

The Press Council has received a complaint on behalf of Mrs D. F. Alexander about an article printed in The Sun, Sydney, on Tuesday, 2 March 1982.

The article, under the headline "I know my son is dead", was reported to be an interview with Mrs Alexander whose son was missing. A firm of solicitors representing Mrs Alexander denied she had an interview with the reporter from The Sun and therefore denied she made the comments attributed to her in the article. The firm sought a public apology from the newspaper on these grounds.

The newspaper responded by giving the times Mrs Alexander was interviewed at home and an identification by the reporter of another person present at the time. The reporter also described what Mrs Alexander was wearing.

The solicitors for Mrs Alexander later said that a request for an interview was made and refused and the words attributed to Mrs Alexander were not said.

From the evidence before the Press Council it is clear an interview did take place. The Press Council is satisfied the report was reasonably based.

The complaint is dismissed.