A Complaint to the BBC on coverage of the trials of Rolf Harris & Stuart Hall

May 7, 2014, Admin, Media Complaints,

(This was submitted via their online complaints site which has a limited number of characters)

You have listed articles on the trials for child sexual violence of Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall and Freddie Starr under the heading of "entertainment". These are not articles about entertainment. They are about 3 adult men charged with (or pending charges) for child rape and child sexual assault.

It is absolutely disgraceful that you have placed these three articles under entertainment and this is without factoring in the promise your organisation made LAST YEAR to stop doing this. By placing it under the heading of entertainment, you have minimised their crimes and effectively slapped their victims in the face. Harris and Hall aren't appearing on Big Brother or retiring. They are both charged with child sexual assaults. Your inability to understand the difference between a celebrity line-up for Big Brother and a man being charged with raping a child is beyond ridiculous.

You have, once again, failed to meet the very basic guidelines on reporting violence against women and children as outlined by the National Union of Journalists. You are a nationally funded media organisation. It is not out with your employees abilities to review the NUJ guidelines once in a while or even undergo some basic training for Rape Crisis.

Considering your organisations history in covering up child rape by Jimmy Savile, I would have thought some training would be in order.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27294828
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27291032
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27294888

BBC, Freddie Starr, Jimmy Savile, Media, NUJ, Rape, Rape Crisis, rape culture, rape myths, Rolf Harris, sexual violence, Stuart Hall

‹ Tell it like it is (Rape Name Change) A letter of complaint to the Metro ›