Case note 298110 [2021] NZPrivCmr 3: Police disclosed man’s history of violence to current partner
Police told the current girlfriend of a man that he had a history of violence, and that he had assaulted and threatened his ex-partner. The man complained to our office that his privacy had been breached, and the information disclosed by Police to his current girlfriend was wrong.
He said Police told his girlfriend that he had assaulted his previous partner and threatened to kill and rape her and her daughter. The man said he had only spat at his former partner and he disputed making the threats.
The man also said he was assaulted outside the local Police station and, when requested, Police had refused to give him video footage of the assault.
The man’s complaint raised issues under principles 6 and 11 of the Privacy Act.
Principle 6 says that an individual has a right to request access to information that identifies them, unless one of the withholding grounds in sections 27 to 29 of the Act (sections 50 to 53 of the Privacy Act 2020) applies.
Principle 11 says that an agency cannot disclose information it holds about an individual, unless one of the exceptions apply.
Read the findings and decision on the privacy commissioner’s web site.