BBC News does not inform readers cat killer and murderer Scarlett Blake is transgender in this article. I intend to complain to ofcom. These are not our crimes.

[Heylo]

Has anyone seen this recent article on the transgender (trans woman) Scarlett Blake who was sentenced to 24 years today for murdering a man. Blake also killed a cat. Pls see this recent article from bbc news. BBC news puts nowhere in article that Blake is transgender. Uses pronouns ‘she’ and refers to Blake as a woman.

bbc article here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-68401335

These are not our crimes. I am reporting the omission of the fact Blake is transgender to Ofcom. I wonder if anyone is thinking the same (about reporting to ofcom, here is the link: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints )

You've all been a lot more restrained than me. This is what the BBC got from me.

Scarlet Blake is not a woman 

You've done it again, haven't you? Reported a man's crime as a woman's? When are you going to listen when we tell you that this is not a woman? Do not parrot the nonsense that you must report what the police and courts say - the guidelines that you trot out to excuse your lies are just that - guidelines. They are not rules and you are free to ignore them. Report factually or don't bother reporting at all.  

The Guardian never goes into the sewer .... yeah right. That rag's venomous socialsim IS the sewer. During the whole of GWB's US presidency, Guardian "cartoonist" Steve Bell caricaturised GWB as "Bushchimp", drawing him as a chimpanzee. Stangely, very strangely, this mode of caricaturisation did not continue when the superior intelligence of Obama assumed the presidency. Lol.

@catscatscurrantscurrants I complained to the BBC and just stuck to the facts. But it was very difficult to restrain myself and not write YOU FUCKING LIARS!

Most of that 7% are women who have killed their husband or partner (often after years of abuse) or women who have killed children. For non domestic murders of another adult, less than 2% are committed by women. It is very rare for a woman to commit this type of crime.

The figures are in the ONS link I posted earlier.

Well, I am surprised that the newspapers aren’t reporting this unique murder by a domestic cat. You’d think that’d be newsworthy. They could even quote the meows that horrific murderer uttered in court.

Yes indeed, Cailleach1. By the way, phew, isn't this a hot night, even for this time of July? We could really do with some rain, haven't had any for months now. Ah well ain't life grand? Scarlett Blake is a woman, the grass is blue, the sky is green, but don't worry, Labour will be in office soon! They will sort it all out! Ha ha haaa! Hee hee Heeee! No wait, why are you strapping me down? No, it's not me nurse, it's them! Them, the ones behind me! Can't you see them? Aaaarrrghhh!!

Letby's crime was a female crime though. Committed by someone of the female sex class.

The crime Letby committed, whilst still quite rare, does fit the profile of of a type of crime that is committed by women. However women virtually never (possibly never at all) strangle people to death on secluded riverbanks for sexual kicks. That's a male pattern crime.

This matters when analysing data and statistics for social science purposes. Nobody is saying that Letby is a reflection on all women just as male serial killers are not a reflection on all men or Jihadists a reflection on the whole Muslim community - so on and so forth. We can't hope to tackle any type of crime with no grounding in the truth.

"Also the paragraph:

'Blake previously told the jury about an online relationship that developed with Ashlynn Bell, another trans woman, in the US.'"

Nope, @HappyintheHills, the article is still ambiguous and misleading, on the same basis - as has been demonstrated on this thread - that the general public are often genuinely confused whether a trans woman is a woman who identifies as trans (ie identifies as a man) or a man who identifies as trans (ie as a woman.)

If posters on Mumsnet's FWR section are still getting confused in 2024, what hope do we have that Brenda from Scunthorpe, 78, will figure out the truth behind the obfuscation and collusion of the media?

This lack of clarity in the language is why I prefer the ridiculous mouthful of 'trans-identifying male/female', or, even better, 'man who identifies as trans' and 'woman who identifies as trans'. It's long, but at least it makes the reality clear - which is, after all, supposed to be the purpose of language.

"It doesn't matter that a male murderer is being called a woman in the national press. No big deal" (shrugs)

This

Lucy Letby's pattern of killing is female pattern murder: child victims, Munchausen-type behaviour, abusing trust in her caring position. Men don't kill to that pattern.

Demanding that we treat everyone like individuals when it comes to analysing offending patterns denies women the ability to risk-assess in our everyday lives and denies everyone the ability to examine why certain groups of people offend in certain ways in order to figure out what can be done to reduce their offending. Humans don't behave in isolation.

Yes it’s not obvious, and does lead into factually incorrect public discourse that women are just as violent as men etc.

Also, just for the naysayers.

Why do you think we read and get the news? Why are things reported?

Because we are social and political animals, and we make decisions about our society based on our responses to what we see is going on in our world, and what our threats are.

So if gender is not important, why do we get news describing she or he? Why is it not ‘a human being’. If class or location or details are not important, why bother? Why would news just say ‘a human being did something bad to someone or something.’

It’s because we respond, we react, we alter our perceptions and make judgements. Our input makes our output.

This is why there is rightful complaint if news is reported in a racist way - as our input created our output.

Of course it’s bloody important! 🙄

To add to the confusion the BBC news report states that Blake “ was previously known as Alice Wang.” ,well possibly this isaccurate reporting and Blake did previously use another female name , but I am willing to bet that Blake wasn’t called Alice,or any other female name, by his parents when he was born, and to identify him by using two female names only serves to muddy the waters about his biological sex.

I am pleased to see that it is reported that he will serve his sentence in a male prison, I hope this at least is accurate.

He came out as trans aged 12. I wonder if he ever passed through the doors of the Tavistock and someone knows him.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint

Ive just complained directly to the bbc and there is the link if anyone wishes to complain also. This shit has to be fucking stopped.

@Heylo
Thanks for starting the thread.

Would you consider amending your title to substitute the word "male" for "transgender"? That's the issue, isn't it? We wouldn't be complaining about the choice of words if he was a woman claiming to be a man.

Also, regarding your first post, please, please don't use the word "woman" to describe a man - even prefacing it with "transgender" (eg calling him a transgender woman) - unless you believe he is a sort of woman, and it's clear that you don't. We have to take back our language.

He was treated at the Tavi. Blockers and hormones. Also has a contact with Gender GP.

It was reported on bbc 6 music news in the evening yday started like this:’ A trans woman has been convicted…’

A short sharp campaign is needed - kill someone, lose your right to choose your pronouns. Surely?

Thanks. I wonder if he was one of those children/adolescents about whom red flags were raised but ignored.

https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-is-the-bbc-calling-scarlet-blake-a-woman/

Good article

How about when it comes to sadistic killers and rapists we forgo the polite fiction that humans can change sex and go with the very accurate 'man'?

It's one thing to indulge Dave in his belief that he is now Doris when is has no real impact on anyone else such as checking out library books. But once male strength, male body parts and male offending patterns come into play we should be able to speak the truth.

Yes I agree with you @HBGKC , I also think that ridiculous mouthful is the best and most accurate description.
However MN deleted my comment recently in which I used it, claiming it broke talk guidelines. Incidentally I've seen it on this board since and it's still standing. So I guess it's all about whether someone reports it or not.
Anyway I just wanted to say that if your comment should disappear be reassured that people saw it and agree with you!