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John Jarratt files new defamation lawsuit

Wolf Creek star heads to Federal Court over a July article he claims defamed him, after being cleared in the courts.

Actor John Jarratt has launched a second defamation lawsuit against the Daily Telegraph, according to media reports today.

The Guardian reports he filed a fresh lawsuit in the federal court on November 22 over its reporting of rape allegations against him.

Jarratt originally sued the Telegraph in the NSW supreme court over a front-page story detailing allegations by a former housemate, but dropped the lawsuit in August after he was found not guilty of rape.

The Federal Court has several advantages to plaintiffs including speed and the lack of a jury.

In a statement of claim filed with the court, Jarratt says a separate article the Telegraph published on 7 July reporting the reaction of his accuser to the not guilty verdict conveyed imputations.

Jarratt has applied for aggravated damages because of the “over-sensationalised” tone of the article and because the Telegraph knew he had been acquitted three days earlier.

In July the Wolf Creek star was cleared of raping his housemate more than 40 years ago. He had always maintained the sex was consensual.