O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors

A refugee activist has hit back at a defamation lawsuit brought by Peter Dutton over a tweet calling the defence minister a “rape apologist”, saying it was fair comment on Dutton’s response to the issue of sexual violence in Australia and offshore detention centres.

Defence minister Peter Dutton has brought defamation proceedings against a refugee activist who labelled Dutton a “rape apologist” on Twitter, but the activist says he was expressing an honest opinion and says politicians should have thicker skins.