Complaint
The programme included an interview with a woman whose former husband had been convicted of attempting to murder her.Ìý The current partner of the former husband complained that the item gave the misleading impression that the woman had experienced abuse during her marriage, whereas the conviction related to a later incident; and that it omitted important context by not referring to the damage caused to the ex-husband’s new family by her conduct during the divorce proceedings, or to the fact that he had suffered from mental health problems as a result of his service in the army. ÌýThe ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s editorial standards of accuracy, impartiality and fairness.
Ìý
Outcome
The focus of the interview was the woman’s call for greater support for people who wanted to leave aggressive partners.Ìý She made clear that, although her ex-husband had behaved aggressively during their marriage, he had not been violent towards her at that time, so the item was not misleading in that respect.Ìý She said nothing about the incident leading to his conviction which the complainant could reasonably dispute, confining herself to what had been proven in court, and in the ECU’s view the interview did not broach areas where impartiality or fairness would have required it to reflect the complainant’s perspective on her conduct following the breakdown of her marriage or the ex-husband’s mental health problems.
Not upheld