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Original poster

Why is Sabina Nessa murder not all over the media?

462 replies

postingfortraffichere · 22/09/2021 23:45

Such a tragic killing and sad, truly awful to hear about this murder.

Though I can't understand why, it doesn't get the same media/public attention as Sarah Everard who died in similarly tragic circumstances not long ago.

Both are equally tragic, two young women attacked in similar circumstances - the only difference I can see in these cases is the colour of their skin. Sarah's murder was everywhere - before we knew it was a police officer responsible.

Women had lined the streets in protest to make the country a safer place for women.

I can't help but notice where are these women protesting for Sabina? Or for the Killmarsh murders, or other women of colour?

The media treats women of colour - even to this day - very differently to white women.

It feels like the media are sending a clear message that black lives STILL 'don't matter' quite as much as their white counterparts.

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 23/09/2021 09:45

I also don't think it's useful to apply 'missing white woman syndrome' to each and every case a white woman is murdered. There is a huge layer of classism that plays a huge factor.

GCAcademic · 23/09/2021 09:47

See, I think so few ‘white’ women even fit this supposed ‘syndrome’ that it’s not even a useful designation. Only young, pretty, middle-class professional women with no ‘issues’ like drug use or alcoholism. And that’s only if their families fight for coverage.

I think it's even more complicated than that. Claudia Lawrence got a lot of coverage, and it was partly because of her father's persistence but the media reporting was very salacious and was focused heavily for a long time on her relationships with men. It was good old-fashioned misogyny (and the fact that that sells) that kept her case in the newspapers for a good while.

SueSaid · 23/09/2021 09:50

'Sarah's case was different because she was missing first and then it turned out it was a police officer that killed her - tying in with a bigger issue.'

Yes, as others have said if she'd have been murdered by her boyfriend she sadly would have hardly had a mention.

LampLighter414 · 23/09/2021 09:59

We all know why, no need to pretend here

Chicchicchicchiclana · 23/09/2021 09:59

"The first one attracts more attention because it could literally happen to anyone. The second does not, because we tend to blame women for partnering with violent men. It’s really unfair, yes.

But I suppose it psychologically makes people feel safe if they can blame the victim in some way"

Well, exactly! Exactly the point I was making. Imo being murdered in domestic violence is MORE notable and MORE tragic than by a random stranger because that is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The man who killed the woman in my neighbourhood was the father of her child. What could be worse? And yet barely an eyebrow raised.

ithinkilikeit · 23/09/2021 10:02

@GCAcademic again missing the point. I do not know your race and I was pointing out that you bringing it up is irrelevant as it does not add credibility to your pont to claim that you are brown.

The only one who seems to think all of a certain type of people should think the same is you. You claim that women who are acknowledging the race issue are missing the pint of male violence. Maybe to them the race disparity in reporting is more important. Or do all women need to think the same according to you?

Mothersister · 23/09/2021 10:04

Because she’s not white. It’s disgraceful and disappointing.

Chicchicchicchiclana · 23/09/2021 10:09

The vigil for Sabina on Friday was the 2nd item on BBC Radio 2 news just now.

Newpuppymummy · 23/09/2021 10:09

I have seen it both on the TV news and in the newspapers. I haven’t read this whole thread but I think the differences that so Sarah Everard was missing for several days. And killed by a policeman. That’s why it got so much media attention.

RiotAtTheRodeo · 23/09/2021 10:10

Imo being murdered in domestic violence is MORE notable and MORE tragic than by a random stranger because that is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gross.

Do you really need to play top trumps with murder?

GCAcademic · 23/09/2021 10:17

[quote ithinkilikeit]@GCAcademic again missing the point. I do not know your race and I was pointing out that you bringing it up is irrelevant as it does not add credibility to your pont to claim that you are brown.

The only one who seems to think all of a certain type of people should think the same is you. You claim that women who are acknowledging the race issue are missing the pint of male violence. Maybe to them the race disparity in reporting is more important. Or do all women need to think the same according to you?[/quote]
Of course we don't all need to think the same. That was the very point of my post. You are quite free to think that media bias about reporting murders is more important than the reasons why women are murdered.

Likewise, feel free to twist what people say, but I won't be engaging with bad faith arguments. I'm grown up enough to recognise that people can see things from different perspectives, irrespective of their sex or skin colour, and that there is no need to accuse them of lying to try to garner validity for your point of view.

Annoyedanddissapointed · 23/09/2021 10:29

@UsedUpUsername

There are hierarchies in this. Some interesting reasearch were done on where boundary of whitness lies. I could be a snowhite (kind of am🙄) but with my name and ee accent it doesn't matter as much. That's why i said "missing local white woman syndrome

See, I think so few ‘white’ women even fit this supposed ‘syndrome’ that it’s not even a useful designation. Only young, pretty, middle-class professional women with no ‘issues’ like drug use or alcoholism. And that’s only if their families fight for coverage.

It’s just not a useful label since the majority of supposedly privileged white women could never hope to get that kind of coverage either.

You are right. Yeah.
worriedatthemoment · 23/09/2021 10:30

This is a different type that why , there ate murders every day many won't even make national news .
Missing people do as its a possible way to find them or info
The vigils etc were all by some other grouo and in my opinion got out of hand anyway

UsedUpUsername · 23/09/2021 10:36

@RiotAtTheRodeo

Imo being murdered in domestic violence is MORE notable and MORE tragic than by a random stranger because that is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gross.

Do you really need to play top trumps with murder?

I think it’s useful to dig into why people are drawn to certain stories and why they don’t care much about others.

If you can find a way to mentally assign some blame to the victim, you likely feel safer. It’s why murder by stranger gets way more press—it’s so much more scary because the audience perceives that it could actually happen to them.

Marguerite2000 · 23/09/2021 10:44

Just seen this very sad case covered on the BBC 2 news, it got a few minutes but I have no idea what order it was placed in.

LalalalalalaLand123 · 23/09/2021 10:45

The story is getting quite a lot of news coverage.
Perhaps not quite as much as SE's as in that case it was a serving police officer who did the crime, who had previously been flashing and hence perhaps shouldn't have been able to serve and have his badge etc.

Tinpotspectator · 23/09/2021 10:46

Let's be honest, it's racism, isn't it?

ladybrunton · 23/09/2021 11:08

I don't think it's fair to compare coverage of the 2 cases. Sarah Everard was missing. There was a campaign to find her. It's not the same in this case. Both cases have an equally tragic outcome. It's not a competition.

londonrach · 23/09/2021 11:11

It's the first story on BBC news...

Plumtree391 · 23/09/2021 11:16

@RiotAtTheRodeo

Imo being murdered in domestic violence is MORE notable and MORE tragic than by a random stranger because that is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gross.

Do you really need to play top trumps with murder?

I agree.

It's not a competition!

Cadent · 23/09/2021 11:18

@nyktipolos

Thank you, as someone from a similar back ground, to Sabina, I wondered how long it would take for someone to act point this out.

Several posters have posted that she us black, completely earning who she actually is.

Whilst saying they are the ones that understand race issues than anyone who slightly disagrees with me.

People can't be bothered getting her name or ethnicity right. But complaining about how much news she is getting.

Which posts are you referring to? Some black and ethnic minorities do use 'black' to refer to women for colour.

For example, I'm in West London where is a charity called Southall Black Sisters, whose purpose is:

Southall Black Sisters, a not-for-profit, secular and inclusive organisation, was established in 1979 to meet the needs of Black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women.

It doesn't mean people don't know Sabina Nessa had Bangladeshi heritage.

Cadent · 23/09/2021 11:19

@RiotAtTheRodeo

Imo being murdered in domestic violence is MORE notable and MORE tragic than by a random stranger because that is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gross.

Do you really need to play top trumps with murder?

I think all the poster means is that you should feel safe in your own home. Nothing gross about that.
RiotAtTheRodeo · 23/09/2021 11:27

I think all the poster means is that you should feel safe in your own home. Nothing gross about that.

She should have said that then.

What she actually said is she thinks it's more tragic when a woman is murdered by a partner. Obviously we're far more likely to be murdered by the man we share a bed with than anyone else, but it's pretty revolting to say a woman being murdered by her partner is more tragic than a woman being murdered by a stranger. The end result is the same, a woman's life snuffed out because a man decided he wanted to.

apalledandshocked · 23/09/2021 11:34

@GCAcademic

See, I think so few ‘white’ women even fit this supposed ‘syndrome’ that it’s not even a useful designation. Only young, pretty, middle-class professional women with no ‘issues’ like drug use or alcoholism. And that’s only if their families fight for coverage.

I think it's even more complicated than that. Claudia Lawrence got a lot of coverage, and it was partly because of her father's persistence but the media reporting was very salacious and was focused heavily for a long time on her relationships with men. It was good old-fashioned misogyny (and the fact that that sells) that kept her case in the newspapers for a good while.

That's another somewhat uncomfortable part of it.... that part of the reason certain parts of the media focus on attractive, young (and white) women is because some of the old, male journalists and some of their readers are rubbing their thighs over it. Bleeeurgh. I feel really icky writing that but its true. I think that while we absolutely should talk about privilege and media bias it is more complicated in these cases because: 1. your dead in either case, 2. some tabloid perv thinking you look nice enough in your pre-death photos for said photos to sell papers is an odd sort of "privilege" at best.
HarebrightCedarmoon · 23/09/2021 11:39

Do we know whether she was murdered by a random stranger? The events described led me to believe it was much more likely to be someone she knew, waiting for her to make that short journey.