"British backpacker died when consensual sexual activity went wrong," screamed the headline. Not from a tabloid, not from a half-baked Men’s Rights Activism (MRA) blog, but from the BBC. After backlash on Twitter, the headline was amended to make it clear that it was in reference to what the defense in the Grace Millane case claimed, but at that point the damage was already done.
Prosecutors allege he strangled Ms Millane before disposing of her body. She died because he killed her. 'Rough sex' is not, is never a defence. And this headline is completely contemptible. Wake up, @BBCNews https://t.co/P23OZUvtBH
— Jenn Selby (@JennSelby) November 19, 2019
It's victim blaming in its purest and most dangerous form and media headlines are facilitating it.
A lot of the public don't know that 'a court hears' here means *from the defence* - and could easily read these lines as if they were objective fact. None of these headlines have attribution.
— Ione Wells (@ionewells) November 19, 2019
Imagine if I reported a political party's viewpoint as fact without attribution. pic.twitter.com/y13GYuZnvC