The Herald Sun republished an article from The Daily Telegraph, reporting on Jerome Mundine’s trial for rape. He was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison. The article also outlined several charges for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, kicking her in the face and causing her to fall down a flight of stairs.
The headline describes Mundine as an “ice rapist” and the rape as a “Sydney laneway assault”. Mundine did not rape a laneway or a drug. He raped a 19 year old woman. He made the choice to commit rape and the woman was the one who suffered because of it. The laneway is fine.
Men’s violence against women is real, it has real victims and real perpetrators. And while most rapists are not strangers in alleyways, they are men who know and often claim to love the woman they rape, this woman’s experience was real and terrifying. She deserves better than headlines like this.
Journalism like this damages the victims being erased from the story and the public understanding of the truth of men’s violence against women. It also diminishes public trust in journalists’ ability and willingness to tell the truth about the crimes they are reporting. There is no excuse for this kind of reporting.
FixedIt is an ongoing project to push back against the media’s constant erasure of violent men and blaming of innocent victims. If you would like to help fund it – even $5 a month makes a big difference – please consider becoming a Patron
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