Daily Mirror conflates multi-perpetrator child rape with sex

June 16, 2015, Admin, EVB Analysis,

Today, the Daily Mirror published an article with a title claiming a child "slept with" 60 men whilst passed around a paedophile group. These are the actual charges:

Vikram Singh, 45, Harmohan Nangpal, 41, Asif Hussain, 33, Arshad Jani, 33, Mohammed Imran, 38, Faisal Iqbal, 32, Taimoor Khan, 28, Akbari Khan, 36, Jerome Joe, 35, Sajad Ali, 35 and Sohail Qamar, 41, are accused of 49 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child, administering a substance to overpower for sexual activity and arranging child prostitution.

The trial includes evidence of the preparation of two girls for sexual exploitation (grooming), sexual exploitation and rape. The two girls were between 12-13 when the offences occurred.

There are strict rules to reporting ongoing trials, but there is never a need to use minimising, misleading or inaccurate language in headlines. Such headlines are just lazy clickbait.

Twitter responded swiftly forcing the Daily Mirror to change the headline to:

Aylesbury paedophile ring trial: 'Victim was passed around 60 men by the age of 16'

Twitter shouldn't have to do this. A responsible media should be capable of self-regulation and accurate reporting. This is why we support the independent press commission because we shouldn't have to campaign for accurate reporting of child sexual abuse.

We would like the Daily Mirror to offer a formal apology for such an offensive headline. The sub-editor and editor should be required to  undergo specialist training from a local woman's service to address this.

child sexual abuse, Child Sexual Exploitation, Daily Mirror, grooming, rape culture

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