News.com.au have gone beyond erasing perpetrators and written a headline that reads as if the victim was the perpetrator of attempted rape. Then, to add grotesque insult to inexcusable injury, the first word in the headline describes what she was wearing.
Seriously? The first word in a headline about a man who allegedly attempted to rape a woman at knifepoint is what she was wearing? How can any reasonable journalist even look at that headline and not have an immediate OH HELL NO reaction?
The woman was at work. The video shows a man climbing in the window of her workplace with a knife, attacking her and dragging her out the window. Nothing about her clothing, her actions or her choices are relevant to his choice to attack her. There is only one thing that causes sexual violence and that is the choice to commit sexual violence.
This headline, which erases the perpetrator, implies the victim committed the crime and blames her by describing her clothing is unbelievably irresponsible.
As I have written before, headlines matter and erasing perpetrators is bad journalism.
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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