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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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Original poster

Rape case report in local news!!

63 replies

MsMarthaMay · 14/09/2015 19:10

Please help me. My ex has just been sent to prison for raping me. The local newspaper have published an article about the case including quite intimate details about what he did. They haven't named me but they named him and gave enough other detail that anyone who knows me could use to identify me. Please can anyone tell me how to get them to remove it? There's no answer on their phone number and I'm really upset and desperate for them to take it down. Sat here shaking

OP posts:

kittybiscuits · 14/09/2015 19:18

Oh bloody hell - I don't know the answer to your question but hope someone who does know will be along soon. I am so sorry you have been put in this position on top of everything else you have been through

EngTech · 14/09/2015 19:18

Data Protection Act?

twirlypoo · 14/09/2015 19:21

Oh god I'm so very sorry. Can you call a solicitor and see what they advise? They might have an on duty one? Or your liaison officer may be able to help? I'm sorry I can't offer more advise

chairmeoh · 14/09/2015 19:21

Is the paper owned by a larger organisation, eg newsquest? If they do, you might be able to track down someone who can help.
Have you had any contact from Victim Support?

cashewnutty · 14/09/2015 19:29

I know it is hard but i don't think a news organisation will remove a story. If it has come to a public trial and that information is in the public domain then it is a story that can be published in the news. They won't take it down because it upsets you.

You need to find a way to stand strong and hold your head up. You have done nothing wrong. He is being vilified as the bad person. People should know what he has done and how he is going to be punished for this.

The story will be gone tomorrow. Until then keep strong.

DizzyCow63 · 14/09/2015 19:33

Anyone who has been raped has the right to anonymity; rapists are frequently not named in the press to protect their victims identity. They should not have published his name and/or enough details to identify you. Is there a news desk no? Sometimes they might be manned out of hours. Or do you have a police liaison officer who could help? Sorry you are having to deal with this OP.

Narp · 14/09/2015 19:35

Maybe contact Victim Support?

So sorry OP.

IFancyRichard · 14/09/2015 19:37

My first action would be to contact them directly and appeal to their conscience. This might be the fastest resolution.

ClosedAuraOpenMind · 14/09/2015 19:42

it's standard practice for newspapers to name the accused in rape cases, but they shouldn't identify the victim.
contact the paper concerned, and if you're not happy with they're response go to the press regulatory body IPSO

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 14/09/2015 19:54

Hi OP, you should ask for this to immediately be referred to the CPS and to the Judge dealing with the case. You should have a contact at the police that can do this for you.

This is a breach of the criminal code on reporting, they are not allowed to publish your name or anything that could lead to you being identified.

Original poster

MsMarthaMay · 14/09/2015 20:07

I've phoned every number I can find for the paper but it's all just voice mail. I've also email the editor and the journalist who wrote it. I'm trying to get hold of the police lady who dealt with the case. I feel so sick. It's the dc I'm worried about. People around here will put 2+2 together.
Why do they have to go into such intimate detail!!!

OP posts:

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 14/09/2015 20:11

It happened to a friend of mine too - she got it taken down, but the police initially seemed to think there was nothing they could do. It was a solicitor who gave her the advice to refer to the CPS and the Judge - so don't let anyone fob you off. Use the wording I've used in my post above.

Good luck.

Justaboy · 14/09/2015 22:19

You could contact this organisation maybe just give them a call I do know they're quite good for complaints but it may well be that now its been published and in the public domain its too late to do much about it but give them a call they might possible be able get the paper to make an apology not what you really wanted but probably the best of a bad job.

Independent Press Standards Organisation

www.ipso.co.uk/IPSO/

Original poster

MsMarthaMay · 14/09/2015 22:20

Thank you so much. I'll do that and use your wording too.

OP posts:

MsMarthaMay · 14/09/2015 23:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 14/09/2015 23:23

I have PM'd the OP & reported the above post.

OutToGetYou · 14/09/2015 23:26

It's the court you need to speak to, it could be contempt of court.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 14/09/2015 23:34

Oh hell, I'm so sorry :(

I hope there's someone in rl who can help asap.

This is the last thing you need

TheOldestCat · 14/09/2015 23:38

Hi OP, having had to contact a local paper when they published an inaccurate story, they also ignored my emails and calls. So I tweeted the journalist involved and their senior editors, quoting IPSO - they were in touch within minutes and took the story down (although they denied they were ever in the wrong).

I hope you are ok.

Joysmum · 14/09/2015 23:47

I'm reporting this too. Far too identifiable.

I really hope you get this article taken down quickly OP

m0therofdragons · 14/09/2015 23:54

Can you pm me the local paper that has done this? Trying not to out myself but dh works in this line of work. He doesn't recognise the story and is hoping it's not his team. No reputable paper would deliberately reveal who the victim is so they should change it asap. I'd call the news editor tomorrow am - most papers start at 8.30am ime. If dh can help he will.

m0therofdragons · 14/09/2015 23:57

Dh also says your police liaison officer will support you if you don't feel able to contact the paper directly. Unfortunately articles are scheduled in advance to go online so noone needs to be in the office.

Terramirabilis · 14/09/2015 23:58

Just wanted to point out that an accused/convicted rapist CAN be named in the media. It is the victim who cannot. The protection of the victim of a sexual offense from being named is lifelong unless a court removes it (rare, happens in rare cases of false rape claims) or the victim waives it (e.g. to do media publicity to find more victims). The rapist cannot be named nor can the relationship to the victim be given if that would identify the victim. (You see this sometimes with child abuse cases where the abuser is a relative and so cannot be named because it would identify the victim).

There is such a thing as jigsaw evidence which you may want to mention. This is when pieces of identifying information can be put together in a news story to identify the victim without actually naming him/her. Jigsaw evidence can happen across more than one news source where each one gives different bits of info and together they add up to an ID.

I'm sorry this has happened to you. Remember that if someone would have to have very close knowledge of you to know that it is you being identified in the story, the media and/or regulators may not feel this is grounds to remove the story.

independentfriend · 14/09/2015 23:59

s.1 Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 is what you want. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/34/section/1

Report the article to the police. It may or may not be illegal, depending on whether you can actually be identified through it or whether there's enough other publicity of the case to lead to jigsaw identification when combined with this one.

Also have a look at www.mediawise.org.uk/dealing-with-the-media/ - they might be able to put pressure on the newspaper to amend the article a bit.

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 15/09/2015 00:01

PM'd you, motherofdragons

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