UK tabloid fined over F1 chief’s ‘Nazi orgy’ story

LONDON: World motorsport chief Max Mosley won his privacy case at London’s High Court on Thursday against a British newspaper which alleged he took part in a Nazi-themed sadomasochistic orgy with prostitutes. Mosley has admitted paying the women $985 each.

Mosley, president of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and son of 1930s British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, was awarded $1,20,000 in damages against News Group Newspapers, owners of the News of the World tabloid which published the story.

He said the judgement had “nailed the Nazi lie” with which the top-selling Sunday newspaper had tried to justify its story. Mosley admitted paying five women for the sex session but denied there was a Nazi theme, saying the session in March centred on a prison fantasy and accusing the paper of a gross invasion of privacy. Judge David Eady agreed that there had been “no evidence” of Nazi-style behaviour, adding Mosley’s involvement in the session did not justify such an intrusion. “There was bondage, beating and domination which seem to be typical of S and M behaviour,” the judge said in his ruling.

Mosley welcomed the verdict in a statement issued afterwards, saying, “This judgment has nailed the Nazi lie upon which the News of the World sought to justify their disgraceful intrusion into my private life.”