Female Journalist Suspended After Tweeting Kobe Bryant Rape Article

The worst thing about mens violent behaviour is that it makes men look bad.

100% this lansgdestiny. Don't speak Ill of the dead also appears to be a privilege that is less likely to be applied to women.

My comment is merely that she shouldn’t be surprised at receiving a negative reaction. The article posted above is not saying she was suspended for raising the rape matter but potentially for the doxxing so the OP is clearly misleading.

He may have just died but there is a fairly sizeable percentage of people in the world for whom the name Kobe Bryant is synonymous with ‘powerful men get away with rape’. They associate their own trauma with him as much as their own attacker, not to mention his actual victim. Don’t their reactions deserve an immediate voice as much as the hero worshippers?

Those in the UK who have barely heard of his sporting achievements are probably also unaware of what a trigger his rape trial was at the time. The accuser was pursued by his legal team. Confidential information about her (her name and photo were public knowledge) was thrown out. Court errors meant non-reportable background was published online. Eventually she refused to carry on. As part of the civil case settlement Bryant apologised to her publicly stating that he could now understand how she felt she’d been raped, although clearly his decency did not extend to pleading guilty in the criminal case. After a short hiatus he resumed his commercial deals. He had continued to play for the Lakers without a pause during the whole period. Every single thing that happened was a reinforcement of the message that if you’re raped by someone like that and report it, you are likely to come off worse. Many people will remember him for nothing other this - how long a period should he be unconditionally praised for out of decency?

but may be to do with breaching of the WP Social Media policy

This is my understanding. Doxxing is against policy. She should have taken them to the police not posted them online. That’s on her.

Ms Sonmez also added a tweet that contained a screenshot of her email inbox with a message containing verbal abuse and the name of the sender clearly visible, which may be the reason for her suspension

So we don’t actually know what the reason for the suspension is but may be to do with breaching of the WP Social Media policy not linking to the article. Personally I would have held back from mentioning the rape allegation... I doubt the emergency services would even have removed all the bodies from the wreckage at that point. It’s not that the subject doesn’t need to be raised it’s that it doesn’t need to be raised at that moment. No one wants to see their heroes discussed in such terms and particularly in the immediate aftermath of a tragic accident like that when people are upset. I don’t particularly hero worship anyone but I didn’t like the thread the other day regarding David Bowie and sex with the 13 year old. It’s uncomfortable- cognitive dissonance I guess. She was naive to think that tweet was going to receive a positive reception which seems extraordinary given her experience as a journalist.

Exactly, wereall, I've been thinking just how awful it must have been for her the past few days with all the public gushing and mourning over Bryant - a bloke who even after a half-arsed rape confession was able to return to lucrative contracts only 2 years later.

I commented on his Times obituary that he was a rapist. Of course it got removed. It’s absolutely devastating that so many lost lives - if you read the detail of the case he would sleep with another woman called Michele (that his wife knew about) he treated this woman Michele the way he treated this victim and Michele didn’t mind. Maybe Michele consented to being choked but this 19 year old didn’t.

Honestly, when I heard of his passing, the first person I thought of was his victim. I cannot imagine what her life has been like over the years. She has my sympathy and I will always remember her. Rape is a big fucking deal and to me it is unforgivable.

Nobody should erase the horrible actions of the deceased, but there's such thing as timing.

Sometimes all the over the top adulation and grieving for someone people have never known is a bit much to stomach when you know about something like this.

The worst thing about mens violent behaviour is that it makes men look bad.

I thought this was an interesting discussion:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/a3806228-Kobe-and-Gigi-Bryant-killed-in-helicopter-crash

I don't go along with arguments about not speaking ill of the dead or timing. But then I don't know the full circumstances of the suspension.

the silencing of discussion of this subject

There is no widespread silencing of it and many articles published since his death reference the rape case.

That the general public seem not to care or is conversely enraged by having it brought up is another matter entirely

If someone wants to send abuse, they should be prepared for it to be shared, dont want it shared? Then dont send it

Yes but that’s against WaPo employee policy so they have every right to suspend her. She should have taken them to the police rather than shared screenshots online with identifying information.

Ms Sonmez also added a tweet that contained a screenshot of her email inbox with a message containing verbal abuse and the name of the sender clearly visible, which may be the reason for her suspension.

If someone wants to send abuse, they should be prepared for it to be shared, dont want it shared? Then dont send it

MN deleted at least one thread discussing those allegations yesterday - the silencing of discussion of this subject is closer to home than you think...

Apparently, it wasn't "in the spirit of the site". So much for "we believe you", eh?

She was actually suspended for doxxing. A lot of articles since his death do address the allegations in a straightforward way. It’s not a secret and is being widely written about.

Yet if she tweeted an article about Jimmy savile probably no one would have bothered.
He hasn't just died.

The way I see it is when someone dies they were someone's spouse/partner/sibling/child/parent/friend. In the immediate days after death it doesn't take much to show consideration for them. They're still here and grieving.

Nobody should erase the horrible actions of the deceased, but there's such thing as timing.

I don't think she should have been suspended though.

Yet if she tweeted an article about Jimmy savile probably no one would have bothered.

the Tweets about the journalist are terrible. It's all "don't speak ill of the dead" but I can also see that seeing someone being spoken of this way, as if he was marvellous, is just awful.

Was just coming on to post about this. It's grim to see all this outpouring of love for someone who by all accounts is a remarkable sportsman. But to be a journalist, and be suspended for sharing the news?

Awful. And the story behind it makes for horrific reading.

www.thedailybeast.com/kobe-bryants-disturbing-rape-case-the-dna-evidence-the-accusers-story-and-the-half-confession

I'm totally on board with me too, we believe you etc.

I hadn't heard of him, which may affect how I feel.

If she is being punished when others are allowed to mention it, that's not fair.

I would have not have circulated that within 24 hours of a tragic incident.

So, the #metoo movement passed quickly, didn't it?

it sometimes feels like a lot of what we are currently seeing is a massive backlash to #metoo.

it feels especially cruel because a lot of women faced a lot of deeply personal uncomfortable truths about what had happened to them with #metoo, but did so in a spirit of sisterhood and the belief that things were turning, about to get a lot better for women.

I notice Obama is reported to have said, “He was a legend on the court,” and I wondered if this was him being careful.

That’s chilling.

I also don't think the timing was tasteless. This was part of his life and legacy - needs to be faced.