The Seven Network has apologised and settled with a man it mistakenly identified as the Bondi Junction attacker.
Benjamin Cohen and Seven reached a settlement, meaning the lawsuit won’t proceed. The size of the settlement isn’t known.
Cohen’s lawyer is also helping police identify social media users who “originated, agitated or facilitated” the false accusation.
“Users who abuse a platform to target individuals or communities should be held accountable for the consequences of their actions, and platforms should be more accountable for the content they host.”
– Benjamin Cohen
What happened?
Some users on social media platforms wrongly identified Cohen as the attacker behind the mass stabbing at Bondi Junction on 13 April.
The Seven Network then identified Cohen as the killer during coverage of Bondi stabbings’ aftermath the next day. It later corrected the name.
Cohen was forced to deny any involvement in the Bondi attack and sued Seven.
Seven Network
In a statement, Seven Network apologised for its “grave mistake” in misidentifying the Bondi attacker. It admitted the “assertions were entirely false and without basis”.
Seven said a producer was responsible for the mistake and said the “staff members involved are deeply remorseful and traumatised by the mistake”.
