Complaint
A listener complained about the way the presenter of this programme linked two pieces on domestic violence. The ECU considered whether the programme met 鶹Լ standards for due accuracy.
Outcome
The first feature was an interview with Deeyah Khan, who discussed her film Behind the Rage, in which she spoke to men who were self-confessed abusers of women. The second concerned a programme about the death of Rikki Neave and his abusive stepfather, and the perspective of Rikki’s mother, Ruth. In the link the presenter stated "That interview focused on the male perspective on domestic abuse cases, but in a separate item on Thursday we looked at the issue from a female point of view."
The ECU agreed it was unfortunate in that it risked giving listeners the impression that “the male perspective” is necessarily that of a perpetrator. However the test of accuracy is whether what was aired would mislead audiences on a material matter.
In the ECU’s view the extent to which listeners would form their understanding of domestic violence and the perspectives these features explored from a line aired between them – rather than the content of the features themselves – was limited. It was more likely they would have understood the line in the context of what they had heard – a piece about admitted perpetrators of domestic violence discussing what they had done, and why.
Not Upheld