Channel Seven is being sued for defamation by a group of Aboriginal people from the remote community of Yirrkala over a segment on breakfast TV show Sunrise in which three white people discussed the Stolen Generations.



The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court in February, alleges Sunrise defamed Yolngu woman Kathy Mununggurr and 14 others when it played background footage of them, with a blurring effect, as the panel discussion took place.

Mununggurr and the other applicants argue they were identifiable in the footage and that by playing it Sunrise had suggested they abused, assaulted or neglected children, were incapable of protecting their children, and were members of a dysfunctional community. Seven intends to defend the lawsuit.

The segment in question was broadcast in the early morning of March 13, 2018 and discussed a news story in which government minister David Gillespie had made comments about adoption of Indigenous children who are removed from their parents.

The panel was hosted by Samantha Armytage and included commentators Ben Davis and Prue MacSween.

Introducing the segment, Armytage incorrectly stated that Aboriginal children can only be cared for by their relatives or Aboriginal carers. State and territory laws across Australia prioritise Aboriginal children being placed with relatives or Aboriginal carers, but children can still be placed with non-Aboriginal carers.

MacSween said during the segment: "Please, don’t worry about the people who decry and hand-wring and say this will be another Stolen Generation. Just like the first Stolen Generation where a lot of children were taken because it was for their wellbeing, we need to do it again, perhaps."



Davis added: "We need to be protecting kids, we need to be protecting Aboriginal kids, and putting them back into that culture… what culture are they growing up and seeing? Well, they’re getting abused, they’re getting hurt and they’re getting damaged."

The comments provoked protests outside the Sunrise studio in Sydney's CBD.