Fed: Fight to stop teen suicide story heads for court
Wed Aug 12 04:21:57 EST 2009
MELBOURNE, Aug 12 AAP - A legal bid to prevent the Nine Network's 60 Minutes program from airing a story about a spate of teen suicides linked to a Geelong school returns to court on Wednesday.
The national anti-depression initiative beyondblue won a last-minute injunction to stop the story, about the suicides of four students at a Geelong school, being broadcast last Sunday.
The network will seek to have the injunction lifted at a hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Victorian Premier John Brumby said the state government would join the national depression initiative beyondblue in a legal bid to stop the 60 Minutes program going to air.
Mr Brumby said the government had strong views about the issue.
"The reality is that the issues in relation to suicide are very, very sensitive issues indeed," he told reporters in Melbourne.
"The last thing you want to do with this issue is normalise it.
"The last thing you want to do is create an environment where copycat behaviour becomes the norm - that is the best professional advice."
Mr Brumby said the government strongly supported the freedom of the press but occasionally it had to step in to protect the public.
He said he had not seen the program but had been told it contained deeply disturbing footage.
* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.
