Channel 9‘s current affairs show, A Current Affair, has challenged a legal attempt to keep the identity of an accused offender secret.
This move puts added pressure on rival Channel 7, which has two individuals facing grave charges featured in one of its series.
A woman, 52, is accused of a multitude of serious offences against children including eight counts of rape and 17 counts of indecent treatment of children under 16.
Concurrently, a 49-year-old man is facing seven counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. Both are currently appearing in a Channel 7 series, sparking significant controversy.
“It’s really not good enough that we have got people who are facing serious charges being celebritised on a television show for commercial purposes,”
said Hetty Johnston, a vocal child protection advocate.
Queensland legislation, now viewed as outdated by many, previously shielded the accused from public identification. This law was rooted in a presumption that allegations of sexual assault might be fabricated, potentially ruining reputations. Only Queensland and the Northern Territory still maintained this law, until now.
“It was devised at a time when there was a rape myth that women would make up sexual assault complaints, that has well and truly been debunked,”
stated Marlia Saunders, Partner at Thomson Geer Lawyers and a media law specialist.
The Queensland parliament has just revoked this contentious law, and it now awaits the governor’s sign-off, expected in October. This change would allow the identities of accused sex offenders to be revealed, unless a suppression order is granted by a judge.
The accused individuals themselves have taken different approaches to their legal predicaments. The man made unsuccessful attempts to have his name suppressed, while the woman claims she is unaware of the charges against her, according to The Courier-Mail.
Channel 7 has come under fire for its decision to continue airing the show featuring these accused individuals. The network has yet to publicly comment on this ethical quandary, despite receiving letters explaining Queensland laws and multiple queries about their plans moving forward.
“Edit it out, or pull it off,” urged Hetty Johnston, highlighting that the primary concern should be the well-being of the alleged victims.
The man is slated to appear before Richlands Magistrates Court later this month, while the woman’s court appearance is set for next month.
The legal reforms are welcomed by many as a step forward.
“Changes to the law will mean that complainants will be encouraged to come forward and report alleged sexual offences and other witnesses will also be encouraged to come forward with relevant evidence,” said Saunders.
As the landscape of legal protection and media responsibility shifts, the scrutiny on how networks handle individuals with severe criminal charges is bound to intensify.
SOURCES – A Current Affair and Courier Mail
Seriously what goes on in Mahogany Row ?
Sevens policy is “Be Brave, Speak Up” !
Seems like they don’t want to listen and they don’t want others to listen either.
ACA no doubt would be shocked shining a “Seven Spotlight” on a few different internal issues.
Perhaps Seven can bring back Today Tonight to fill in the programming 😬
Seven is a corporate entity and its number one priority is always to protect its brand and profits. I should know, I used to work there.
I doubt Nine is any different and their moves here are also motivated by money and money alone.
This is a police matter and something for the courts. Anything else injected into this situation by either Nine or Seven is suspect.