WorkSafe Victoria has declared there’s “insufficient evidence” to bring charges against the organisers of Falls Festival, in relation to a crowd stampede which left nineteen punters hospitalised last year.
The incident occurred when punters leaving DMA’s set were funnelled through a so-called “bottleneck” on the Lorne festival grounds, causing scores of attendees to lose their footing and instigate a crowd crush incident.
Some of those affected described being unable to breathe, passing out, and losing feeling in their limbs. ABC reports some of the injuries observed included leg, rib, hip and pelvic fractures, along with potential spinal injuries.
However, the state’s workplace safety watchdog today said that after “following a comprehensive investigation, WorkSafe has determined there is insufficient evidence to prosecute event organiser Ash Sounds Pty Ltd in relation to an incident at the company’s Falls Music and Arts Festival in Lorne last year.”
Responding to claims the festival’s design and layout may have contributed to the incident, WorkSafe said “all the conditions imposed by various bodies in relation to the event, such as crowd control, crowd size, and positioning and size of exits, had been met.”
While government authorities won’t charge organisers over the incident, a separate class-action lawsuit is ongoing.
Falls Festival will return to Lorne in late December this year.
