News Ltd has publicly apologised to a former student politician who was branded a serial liar by Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger after she had accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of physically intimidating her.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a remarkable twist that could reignite debate about Mr Abbott's alleged punching of a wall after losing a student election in the late 1970s, News Ltd's barrister read an extended apology in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday on behalf of The Australian to the alleged victim of the intimidation, Barbara Ramjan, as part of a settlement of a defamation action.
In an essay by former Fairfax Media journalist David Marr, released last September, Ms Ramjan said that in 1977, after she beat Mr Abbott for the presidency of the Sydney University Student Representative Council, he put his face close to hers and punched the wall either side of her head.
Mr Abbott denied the incident occurred and a few days later, Mr Kroger described Ms Ramjan in The Australian and on radio and television as a serial manufacturer or false complaints, "a nutter", and "a nobody".
"An article published in September 24, 2012, concerned allegations by Michael Kroger about Barbara Ramjan's conduct in student politics in 1977 and 1978, and that of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott," Tom Blackburn SC said in court on Monday.
"The Australian apologises to Ms Ramjan for any suggestion that she lied about those events and acknowledges that the recollection of those events was contested by all participants, who were sincere in what they recalled."
The apology was part of a settlement of the defamation action which Ms Ramjan brought against News Limited and Mr Kroger over the accusations, which he repeated on Channel 10's The Bolt Report, and Alan Jones' breakfast radio show on 2GB.
In the article, Mr Kroger pointed to another incident in which Ms Ramjan had made allegations against far left wing political party The Sparticists, which that group denied, as evidence that she was a "serial manufacturer of false complaints".
"This was about an attack on my reputation and today I have got my reputation back," Ms Ramjan said.
"Everything I said to David Marr is true, I don't step away from anything I said."
Mr Kroger said he had not apologised to Ms Ramjan and he "did not intend to apologise".
Neither party would disclose the details of the settlement, but it is understood Ms Ramjan will receive a sum of money in addition to the apology.
