Legal Niches

Atkinson Reiterates Threats Against Him

By pete_gallagher

South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson is digging into his old bag of tricks, dredging up claims of personal threats, slamming gamers and insinuating that his political opposition might be behind the threats.

Speaking to ABC, Atkinson once again claimed to have had a threatening letter slipped under his door at 2AM 'from a gamer' and said that his electronic email is constantly spammed.

Atkinson then went a step further, comparing gamers to another group:

I feel that my family and I are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me and are running a candidate against me. The outlaw motorcycle gangs haven't been hanging around outside my door at 2AM, a gamer has.

Atkinson added, 'I have no evidence to say that it [the threatening material] is being circulated by members of Gamers4Croydon. I don't know who sends me this awful material.'

A short video segment from the interview is available here.

Atkinson has often been identified as the lone holdout among Australian Attorney Generals when it comes to the issue of adding an R18+ rating category for videogames.

Update: Gamers4Croydon President Chris Prior addressed Atkinson's latest attack, saying, 'It's really quite absurd and it trivialises the lives that have been ruined by cruel motorcycle gangs.'

'We are a party formed to challenge Mr Atkinson publicly, civilly, and within the rules of South Australia's democracy,' he added, denying any link to the harassment of Atkinson.

Thanks Andrew, Ryan and iheartassassinmaids!

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on February 16, 2010 (boomark / email).