Make a complaint about an article on fatal domestic abuse

In the UK, a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner every three days. Newspaper reports of these killings influence how the public understands of domestic abuse – which is why every article must be accurate, sensitive and prioritise the victim’s dignity.

Why? Because every article on fatal domestic abuse is an opportunity to prevent more women dying.

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Which part(s) of this article are inaccurate, insensitive or undignified?

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Victim-blaming

Spurious trigger given for the killing, rather than full context

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Hi,

I’m writing to complain about your article titled {AUTO HEADLINE}.

A link to the article is here: {AUTO URL LINK}.

Though it’s positive that you are reporting on this case, your reporting fails to follow the IPSO-backed guidelines on reporting fatal domestic abuse, which are designed to make sure all reports of fatal domestic abuse are accurate, sensitive, dignified and help rather than hinder public understanding of domestic abuse.

Every three days, a woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner. These murders come as the end-point to a sustained period of domestic abuse and coercive control.

Reporting accurately on the full context and truth of these killings is crucial to preventing more deaths, and saving more lives.

With this in mind, please edit your article in order to follow the 5-part guidelines:

1. Accountability

Avoid including speculative “reasons” or “triggers” for a man killing a woman that oversimplify the case or frame the death as a result of a woman’s actions (e.g. ‘jilted lover kills wife after her lesbian affair’). Instead, look deeper into the context and character of the relationship and you will find coercive control and possessive behaviours.

2. Accuracy

Name the crime for what it is, rather than a tragedy or horror. Include a reference to helplines at the end of the article, so readers know where to seek help:

-In the UK, the national domestic violence helpline is 0808 2000 247.
-In Scotland, the domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline is 0800 027 1234.
-In Wales, the Live Fear Free helpline is 0808 8010 800.
-In Northern Ireland, the domestic and sexual violence helpline is 0808 802 1414.

3. Images

Centre the image of the victim, rather than the perpetrator. Do not place their images side by side, and do not use images of the murder weapon.

4. Dignity

A victim’s family and children will read and re-read this article for years to come. Avoid sensationalising language, invasive or graphic details that compromise the dignity of the deceased victim or her surviving children and family members.

5. Equality

Avoid insensitive, trivialising or sexualising language or imagery. All women have a right to dignity and respect, especially in death, regardless of their race, sexuality, occupation, class and whether they live with mental or physical disabilities.

If you would like further information on the guidelines, please contact mediasupport@welevelup.org.

Many thanks,

[NAME]

In the UK, a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner every three days. Newspaper reports of these killings influence how the public understands of domestic abuse – which is why every article must be accurate, sensitive and prioritise the victim’s dignity.

Why? Because every article on fatal domestic abuse is an opportunity to prevent more women dying.

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