Should the Sydney siege hostages get paid for media interviews?

Mr Arraj added that Ms Mik­hael had “a wonderful story to tell” and that payment for any interview “is not for the purpose of making a dollar for the benefit of Marcia herself,” but would instead benefit an as-yet-unnamed foundation that she is setting up.

Ms Mikhael has also recorded an exclusive interview with Melissa Doyle at Channel Seven, for a sum that has not yet been disclosed. That interview will air early next month, Fairfax Media reports.

NSW police have previously asked various hostages to be careful what they say to the media.

 

Several critics have slammed the idea that hostages should be paid for speaking about the devastating event, which tragically ended in the loss of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson‘s lives.

Taking to social media to share their concerns, some commentators have even gone so far as to suggest mother-of-three Mikhail should feel obliged to donate her money to a special fund to promote religious tolerance.

 

 

 

 

 

Others point out that, while victims of terror attacks overseas can claim up to $75,000 in financial assistance under federal Australian law, the Daily Telegraph reports hostages caught up in the 16-hour siege in Sydney will receive as little as $1,500 plus costs in compensation under the NSW victims support scheme.

That relatively small sum has had led NSW Attorney General Brad Hazzard  to call for the Federal Government to revise terrorism victim compensation in Australia.

“There may be a major issue – in the sense of an anomaly – between how citizens are treated if they are subject to a terrorism event overseas, versus here in Australia,” he told the ABC.

“If it’s offshore, there are much greater entitlements, so I’m asking the Federal Government to look at that and make sure people are being treated equally.”

But some social media users have defended Ms Mikhail’s decision to request compensation for speaking out about her trauma.

After all, they argue, if television networks were allowed to profit off running footage of the siege, shouldn’t victims of the event also be allowed to expect compensation to speak about the painful experience?

You may also be interested in reading Mamamia’s post about why nobody has the right to judge the hostages.

Where do you stand?