Complaint over 29-year-old report
Saturday, February 10, 2018
The Local Paper received a complaint today (Sat.) about a report that was published 29 years ago, when Editor Ash Long was Publisher of The Kinglake Chronicle.
A woman complained about a Kinglake Chronicle report that she says was published in 1989, headlined ‘Kinglake Bomb Fears’. The Kinglake woman said the report followed a Victoria Police raid on her family’s property, after nearby residents lodged a report, fearing there was a bomb on the property. She said the nearby residents’ complaint was incorrect.
The woman said no bomb was located, but acknowledged that her father faced a charge relating to firearms after the Police raid. He was later in a health care facility.
The woman said that Mr Long had no idea of the repercussions of the press report that included photographs of the family home taken from the street at the time of the Police raid, as well as printing details of the family name and address. The woman said that she and her sister, then aged 19 and 15 respectively, were “picked on” by other families for a lengthy time afterwards.
The woman criticised Mr Long for not publishing her family’s version of events at the time, but acknowledged that she had asked Mr Long to leave the property, a request with which he complied. The woman acknowledged that she did not contact the newspaper at the time, or since, to give her version of events.
The woman made the unsolicited approach to Mr Long when he was in the Kinglake Memorial Reserve clubrooms on Saturday afternoon, as he was about to take a photograph of Kinglake Cricket Club kitchen volunteers. A Cricket Club official politely asked the woman and Mr Long if they could take the discussion outside the clubrooms; both complied with the request to leave the rooms. Mr Long drove away immediately from the Kinglake Memorial Reserve.
The woman said her boyfriend was Ash Geelan, proprietor of a Kinglake news website, which has been an ongoing critic of The Local Paper and Mr Long.
The fact of the matter is You were illegally on our property, and was asked to leave, you were freely roaming around our property illegally, yes you were asked to leave, you reports of said crime perpertrated by geoffrey ryan, had nothing to do with the family you condemned, my sister was infact under age, you illegially enteret the property , so you could take your photos, you took affence to me being hostile, you played a huge role in crucifiying me and my sisters and mother in the process, half of what was written was complete bullshit, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, as for my partner he has nothing to do with this at all, this is about what you personally did to my family and the destruction you left for me and my younger sisters to deal with, you didnt give a shit, the story was all that mattered to you, and no i never approched you again, you were out of line, hostile, and only out to make money from your half fictional story, we kids had to live with the fallout in the community, thanks so much, yes i took my opertunity today, coz i havent seen you in that longer time, as you dont have to many years left in you from your health problems, my sister and i and the other person who you forgot about as whittness, yes, i finally am and so are they to correct what you wrote, we know the facts you never cared to find out the truth, hope you enjoyed it because, eventually all the nasty shit you do comes back, enjoy the karma.
KERRY-ANN RYAN.
About time someone was made accountable for their role in causing distress and embarrassment to myself as a young teenager and my sisters and mother. Regardless of what was printed and which was false, we were never given the opportunity to correct or tell our side of the story. Our life had been difficult but the published story caused lasting damage that would never be healed. Having to live in a small community where everyone new exactly who the article was about. I felt living afterwards to be extremely challenging and being teenager at the time, we all suffered from the fallout from the publication for
years onwards. Lesley Ryan
Please publish the origional copy of the story mr long, can you find it even, then we shall debate where you went wrong where you failed , and you forgot there was one other whitness mr long, as i recall you were alone on that day, but there were 3 of us there and you were rather nasty once kicked off the property, of which you were tresspassing on but you got caught out when we all showed up , you were freely roaming our property looking for anything to add to your story, to make it more credible im guessing never the less, you owe us a public appology.
Kerry-ann Ryan.
one more question mr long
The woman said her boyfriend was Ash Geelan, proprietor of a Kinglake news website, which has been an ongoing critic of The Local Paper and Mr Long.
This matter is between you and The Ryan family, has been for 29 years, seeing you was random, as i said i havent seen you or heard from you since that day.
Mr geelan had no idea of what was going on and he was not in kinglake 29 years ago, so please dont bring other people into this because its about what you did to me and my family.
You introduced Mr Geelan’s name to our conversation. I had no idea of your relationship until that time. I do not have the newspaper from 29 years ago.
Geoffrey Ryan
First let me correct something THERE WAS NO RAID the police may have intended to raid me but I approached them as they were gathered outside of the local hotel, I asked them why three car loads of police were standing around a place like kinglake at 11 o’clock at night and they just grabbed me and asked me where my wife was, my reply was she was at her sisters at monbulk. they then asked me to accompany them to my house (like I had any choice ) so we all drove to my house and I let them enter, after a few minutes one officer held up my rifle and asked did I own it and I said of course, he then asked did I have a licence and I produce it from my room but on inspection it had run out but I never went to court on that occasion for that. what did happen was they allowed me to call my daughter to tell her they were taking me to whittlesea police station and the through me into a divisional van and took me to melbourne watch house and the next thing I knew I was taken to a mental institution in royal park and kept there under the mental health act with no right of appeal. I was kept there for several weeks until one of the nurses said if you want to get out volunteer for a new drug they are testing and you can get out within five days and only be assessed monthly for a trial period and that’s what I did. that my side of it. Now the police said to me that night that the neighbors had informed them that I was playing loud music and no one had seen my wife for a couple of days and that why the were there, nothing was ever said about a bomb and I do not believe it was ever said to be the reason they were there, but the effects of that article were felt by everyone in my family for many years until in the end we just moved away to start again , So it was 29 years but I doubt my family will ever forget.
All newspapers have archives, i put it to you that, you do not wish to produce it because, it may incriminate you.
As stated we just want an appology for the role you played that day, admit the truth and this will be finally put to rest
I sold the Chronicle business in 1993; you could check with current owners if they have files.
There will be no apology. We have aired your complaint, and your further remarks, even your personal hostile comments about my health. You have had your say, more than once. We have also published the comments of your sister and father. This correspondence is now closed.