New South Wales admits police battery and false imprisonment of protester

The state of New South Wales has admitted that police officers committed battery and false imprisonment against a protester during a June 2025 demonstration in Sydney. Court documents show the state accepted that an officer struck the woman in the eye while holding a torch and that another officer grabbed her upper body.

The state also admitted that officers prevented her from leaving the scene after the incident. The admissions came in response to a civil claim filed in October in the New South Wales Supreme Court. The state agreed to pay reasonable medical expenses connected to the admitted injuries.

Charges and outcomes The protester was arrested at a demonstration outside a manufacturing facility attended by about 60 people. She and four others faced charges that were later dropped by the director of public prosecutions in September. The state denied allegations of malicious prosecution and malfeasance in public office.

It also rejected claims for aggravated and exemplary damages. The next hearing in the civil case is scheduled for early September. A separate criminal hearing involving one of the officers is set for February.