London High Court to rule on injunction sought by anonymous celebrity over sexual misconduct claims

A London High Court will hear arguments on Tuesday about whether an anonymous public figure, identified in court documents only as PPT, can obtain an injunction to stop ITN and The Guardian from publishing allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with multiple women and girls. PPT’s lawyers argue that publishing the claims and his identity would pose a serious risk to his mental health, citing two prior suicide attempts and extensive medical evaluation.

"This is not a case where an individual has spuriously raised ‘mental health’ concerns in the face of an impending publication that they do not wish to occur," attorney Sara Mansoori KC told the court.

The media organisations contend that the stories are in the public interest, noting a “wide-ranging and rigorous investigation” that included interviews with about 100 people and that many alleged victims have suffered trauma. They argue that any suicide risk can be addressed through mental-health treatment rather than restricting publication.

Judge Nicklin acknowledged the difficulty and importance of the matter, stating that his role is to determine whether the claims may be published, not to assess their veracity.