TO think he's not a fucking teddy bear?

[Bunlicker]

^Friends and associates of Mr Matthew said they were astounded to hear that the genteel editor was under arrest. “He is the biggest teddy bear I know,” said one family friend.

Aibu to think this is shocking reporting?

Intentionally throwing a hammer at a person is a pretty clear indication of the man's character.

British newspaper editor 'admits he accidentally killed wife by throwing a hammer at her in their Dubai home' - The Telegraph
apple.news/ALsGp3iLhSV23LnKUEzkOFA

Hurtle, I do get what you're saying about corruption in Dubai, and it may well be that Mr Matthew is innocent.

But the Telegraph, as far as I am aware, is a British newspaper: there would be nothing to stop them from focusing their initial article on what a tragedy Mrs Matthew's death is (however prominent her husband) and then run a series of articles about proof in the justice system.

Because, let's face it, the way this is reported is not just about Middle Eastern corruption (if that is indeed the case): it is about something in our own society, it is about how news are reported, it's about how we see people. And this trend does not just involve possibly-innocent-people caught up in a foreign system: the very same way of reporting is used of known killers.

It is about the language used: as the link provided ToElle shows, the victim becomes not the central figure but "the wife", her mother becomes "the mother in law".

In this article from the Guardian, 2 sons/brothers of 2 murdered women describe how they had to see their father (whom they knew to have been an abusive bully) described in the press as "a very, very nice man" who struggled to deal with the breakdown of his family.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/22/man-mother-sister-killed-father-lance-hart-spalding-leicestershire

The British press don't actually have to have the ties they do to Mr Matthew, or the suspicions they may well have of his confessions, in order to describe a suspect as a lovely man and forget about the victim altogether: it's pretty well the default position for reporting a suspected wife murder.

And regardless of Mr Matthew's merits, that is wrong.

Here is an article about how two sons of a murdered mother + sister

Jane's friends and relatives are probably too traumatised to speak out about her character and personality, and are most likely, support their children at this time

I fins it odd to assume this - I don't know but it could be like the case below.

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/17/we-didnt-recognise-that-he-was-dangerous-our-father-killed-our-mother-and-sister

The police told the brothers not to read press coverage of the attack. Luke read nothing for months, but Ryan was able to avoid it for only a few days. He was shocked to find reports that were sympathetic towards his father. The Sun and Daily Telegraph quoted locals who described Lance as “a nice guy”, while the Daily Express reported that he was “a DIY nut”. The Daily Mail spoke to others who described Hart as “always caring”. In every report, there was speculation that the prospect of divorce “drove” Lance to murder, and little mention or description of Claire or Charlotte.

*“I was shocked at the ease with which others, sitting behind their desks, could explain our tragedy away within an afternoon,” Ryan says now. “It was very difficult to read that they were sympathising with a man who caused Mum and Charlotte misery their entire lives. One writer even dared use the word ‘understandable’ to justify why they were murdered.” This second Daily Mail article, a column by psychiatrist Max Pemberton, argued that a man killing his children “is often a twisted act of love”. The article was later removed from the site.

“You’re reading it and thinking, ‘This is bollocks,’” Ryan says. “But you know people around the country are also reading it, and those ideas are being driven into their minds. It reinforces in the abuser’s mind that what they’re doing is OK.”*

“They kept saying this was a money issue,” Luke adds of the news stories. “It wasn’t about money. That’s what made me really angry. Sometimes news is just entertainment. They couldn’t have known our history, but it was weird: in the absence of information, they chose the side of a terrorist who committed murder.”

i do understand the degree he did, you don't seem to.

I suspect that acquaintances of suspects give quotes like this to make themselves feel a little better that there was nothing they could have done to forsee or prevent the tragedy.

They're hardly going to say "Yeah, he is a total maniac, I thought he'd probably flip and kill someone at some point" - I think there's an element of wanting people to know that there were no outward signs that gave them cause for concern.

Really very sad either way.

x-posts there -with corythatwas - and same case.

Bunlicker Oh, I understand the degree fully. I also understand the country, the politics, the way the media is controlled and how the government will do virtually anything to ensure that there is no threat seen towards their expat community, or their tourism industry, and nothing negative is said about, or can be put on, UAE locals.

I wonder if the super ass lickyness of the article is down to his profession of a newspaper editor?

Exactly corythatwas.

Even if this is a tragic accident involving a hammer it is still shocking that the reporting focuses on him with every single quote about him. The journalists couldn't even bother to ask mutual friends what she was like. A woman has died tragically and the focus is on him.

The thing is, and I do believe this is different from teh case

Everything is so controlled that the Telegraph only have the UAE reports to go on - this happened yesterday. Should they not publish anything? Is that what you want? They can't say he killed her, because there has been no court case. They can't say why he killed her, because there has been no court case.

They only have quotes to go (although it own't be long until the quotes from mutual friends on Facebook come into the media light I am sure).

Bunlicker The Irish teacher wasn't a newspaper editor so your argument there falls apart pretty quickly.

It's hard when people in a tight community will do anything to excuse one of their own isn't it?

Hurtle, have you any clue what UAE was in the 1980s? 1990s? You fucking DID need to speak a bit or Arabic.

They can say exactly why he has been accused of. That's reporting.

Trollspoopglitter

SPEAK.

Not write.

(Yes I do have a fucking clue; I was resident there).

Turtle thinks he can speak it. just not enough to read:

"I Killed her with a hammer"

They can say exactly why he has been accused of.

Hmmm. They have done. "“The public prosecutor has charged the husband with premeditated murder in accordance with the federal penal code, and investigations continue in this case,” the government said. "

It says quite clearly he has been charged with premeditated murder. That quote is from the article you shared.

Bunlicker

Do you really think "i killed her with a hammer" would be how a confession for a charge as serious as premeditated murder would be written out?

These signed confessions (in Dubai) are pages long, with the details of all the situation running up to the event; a statement of events. It would not be six words (and the newspapers have even reported it was not just six words as they've given details of what allegedly happened beforehand).

Editor of the Gulf news Mr Matthew is a well-respected journalist, known for his keen insight into the Middle East

Keen insight that he gained from illiteracy in Arabic I'm sure.

Oh well then you probably know a lot of teddie bears who always get wrongly accused of rape and abuse by silly women

Bunlicker

Actually, if you'd read any of his articles, he was involved in writing about Middle Eastern politics and security mainly recently... No need for much Arabic language in that area, it involves conversing with a wide range of people from all backgrounds and multiple countries.

Controversially, he's been pretty out spoken about certain Middle Eastern countries recently and not in a positive way at all.

Turtle is a prime example of why I gave up on "expat communities" years ago.

You'd also know that if there was any doubt, ANY, the police will always side with the man. To accuse him of killing his wife will require pretty solid proof.

Trollspoopglitter

I've never accused any woman of being silly for reporting rape. Reported your disgusting post.

Bunlicker

Well then you gave up on Jane Francis, didn't you.

And I am not an expat.

He was EDTOR of the paper, so of course his Arabic must have been fluent in both spoken and written.
You don't live 30 years somewhere, get to the positions he achieved and move in his social circles and not know the consequences of being an utter cockbox to his wife. He probably thought he could get away with it as women are never believed.
Fucking teddy bear?? Not one word about how lovely his wife was or where she went to school. Typical fucking journalism.