Police Pressed On Strip Search Protocol During Festival Inquest

NSW Police may be forced to release their strip search protocol following pressure around an inquest into drug-related deaths at music festivals.

As The Guardian reports, counsel assisting the Coroner, Peggy Dwyer, told a Sydney court earlier this week they were yet to be given such details from NSW police, but they would continue to pursue the matter.

In relation to the ongoing inquest, the NSW Coroner’s Court is requesting details from NSW Police around its strip searches, including under what circumstances police are entitled to strip search patrons.

The news follows a hearing earlier this month where a woman told the NSW Coroner’s Court she was "treated like a criminal" during a police strip search at Knockout Circuz in 2017.

The inquest, which commenced in early July, is investigating the deaths of 19-year-old Alex Ross-King who died from a suspected overdose at FOMO Festival in Sydney in January, Justin Tam, 22, who ingested an "unknown substance" at Lost Paradise festival in December, Callum Brosnan, 19, who died from a suspected overdose at Sydney's Knockout Games Of Destiny dance party in December, and Joseph Pham, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, who attended the Defqon event in Penrith last September, as well as Tran.