LONDON — A British father and daughter who suffered severe injuries from a fatal suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017 have achieved a legal victory against a former television producer who propagated false claims that the tragic event was staged. The lawsuit, filed by Martin Hibbert and his daughter, Eve, was resolved in their favor on Wednesday. The producer, Richard Hall, had made numerous allegations in various media formats, asserting that the Manchester Arena bombing was fabricated, and insisted that no one was truly harmed or killed.

Hall, who works independently as a producer, had publicly declared that “millions of people have bought a lie” regarding the bombing incident. He maintained that his controversial activities—including secretly filming Eve Hibbert—were acts of journalism intended to serve the greater public interest. He went onward to suggest that some individuals listed as deceased were actually living abroad or had died prior to the attack.

Justice Karen Steyn criticized Hall’s actions, stating, “I have no doubt that his course of conduct was a negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom.” She noted that over the years, Hall had consistently published false claims while neglecting the painful truth that countless victims and their families have lived through.

The attack occurred on May 22, 2017, when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb concealed in a backpack as concertgoers left the venue. The brutal incident resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals, with over 260 others suffering injuries; police reported that many attendees were left with significant psychological trauma. Abedi’s brother, Hashem Abedi, was later found guilty on 22 counts of murder and received a sentencing of no less than 55 years for his involvement in coordinating the attack.

Martin Hibbert was left paralyzed from the waist down due to the explosion, and his then-14-year-old daughter was critically injured, experiencing severe brain damage during the incident. Following the ruling, the judge indicated that she would deliberate on the matter of financial compensation in a subsequent session and would also evaluate claims concerning violations of data protection laws.

Hibbert expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, labeling it a “comprehensive victory.” He voiced a desire for Hall to face a restraining order and advocated for the establishment of new legal protections, potentially named after his daughter, to shield others from similar experiences in the future.

“I am really pleased with not only the overall judgment, but also the many comments of the judge as to how unacceptable Hall’s behavior was,” Hibbert commented. He emphasized the importance of this ruling in paving the way for legislative change to protect individuals from being subjected to the difficulties his family has faced.

This case mirrors similar lawsuits in the United States, where parents of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting successfully sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his unfounded assertions that the massacre was a hoax. Jones has been ordered to pay substantial damages amounting to $1.5 billion in relation to those claims.