Action threatened on baton incident

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 6

Action threatened on baton incident

PA Wellington The Council for Civil Liberties said yesterday that it had two cases which might link particular policemen with injuries suffered by people during the baton incident at an anti-tour march in Wellington last Wednesday. The chairman of the council. Mr George Rosenberg, who appealed on Friday for witnesses to the baton incident. said that about 20 people had supplied evidence. Some was general but some was specific. Mr Rosenberg said: "There are two cases where it looks, on a preliminary, glance, where we may be able to link a particular policeman with a particular injury." It would probably be next week before the evidence was collated. It would first be referred to the police for their comments.

The Commissioner of Police. Mr R. J. Walton, said that when police control lines were formed for valid reasons they had to be held. People who attacked such lines had to accept the risk of being involved in the use of force when police had no other alternative. Mr Walton said: "In the

event of legal action being taken it should not be overlooked that police officers, too, can resort to civil action for malicious prosecution.” Mr Rosenberg said that

the council had not overlooked that point. But the justification for Wednesday's action did not amount to legal justification for the action the police had taken.