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Innocent Until Proven Newsworthy?

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sp1814 | 19:16 Sun 23rd Dec 2018 | News
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We often hear how those accused of rape and sexual assault should have their identities kept secret as it could damage their reputation if found not guilty.

Along those same lines, should newspapers be allowed to get away with naming those who have not been charged of other offences?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6524457/Police-continue-quiz-double-glazing-worker-Gatwick-drone.html#comments

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/22/gatwick-drone-turmoil-pair-arrested-are-local-police-say

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gatwick-drones-arrest-couple-released-without-charge-paul-gait-elaine-kirk-crawley-sussex-police-a8696876.html

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I don't think it was the Daily Mail, just the Mail on Sunday, which is a different beast.
This was the original report that I saw.

https://www.express.co.uk › News › UK
2 hours ago - SUSSEX Police have admitted the drone which brought chaos to Gatwick airport and ruined Christmas for more than 140000 may never have ...
Davemano, it's in the story sp1814 linked to in his original post.
IF, in fact, and I repeat IF, no drone was actually seen or heard by anyone in an official capacity, the police, the MoD, and the airport management have participated in the greatest pantomime of the season!
jno I hadn't read it all, and the heading on my post gave me the impression that it was recent i.e 2 hours. However, back to the quiz.
it's behind you!
that was to sanmac^
Excellent, jno, and quite apt:)
someone was saying the law has changed so you now cant name people until they are charged

is this true or just AB-speak again ?

mass hysteria on behalf of the (armed) services - do you think that really happened ? - they did see the angel of Mons in 1915 but I thought that was a one-off.
there was an outbreak of Zeppelin sightings before WW1 - more than 100 over three months in 1913, especially in Yorkshire and south Wales. They tailed off some time before war broke out.

But German records say there never were any.
I totally and utterly disagree with naming anyone until at least charged. Even then I would prefer people not to be named until found Guilty and only on guilty.

Unfortuantely mud sticks and there are always those (we see it on here often) who come up with 'There is no smoke without fire'.

In this particualr case is seem Inspector Clouseau was in charge, incopetance at it's best. Perhaps the Police service should stick to speeding motorists or parking offences as that seems to be all they can do now.
we don't know that Clouseau was in charge; for all we know they had a good lead but it proved wrong. That happens plenty of times. But in such circumstances, giving the names of the suspects seems wrong to me.

Did the police actually release the names or just leak them to favoured journalists?
"for all we know they had a good lead but it proved wrong"
Except we also know the Police were told early on they could not possibly be the ones.
This case was an unmitigating disaster. Heads need to roll.

"Did the police actually release the names or just leak them to favoured journalists?"

Probably neither. I suspect the tip off to plod was vindictive so probably papers tipped of too.
being told they couldn't be the ones isn't definitive, they have to check out everything. I mentioned in one of these threads that their boss had given them an alibi; but someone else pointed out, correctly, that the boss could be lying.

The process has worked the way it should: people have been investigated, then released without charge. But newspapers have some apologising to do.
"...but someone else pointed out, correctly, that the boss could be lying."

Indeed. So the "ABC" of detective work swings in: "Accept nothing; Believe nobody; Check everything." In this particular case the suspect's boss (for whom he had worked for seventeen years) told the police that he was part of a three man team who had worked together for a day and a half of the period under investigation. They were fitting facias and soffits for a customer in Groombridge. He offered to provided the customer's details and those of the two workmates so that further confirmation could be sought. Nobody contacted him.
could it be the suspect was cleared on other grounds so further confirmation wasn't needed?
// we don't know that Clouseau was in charge;//
because the Police refused to name him for operational reasons - ter daaah
that was my little chrissy joke
just to keep this thread rolling
// They were fitting facias and soffits for a customer in Groombridge//

you know if I were thrngey ( the employer ) I might have put that on the internet - on the grounds that the Groombridge Tatler ( innocent man released shock) wasnt going to be printed for another seven d
"...could it be the suspect was cleared on other grounds so further confirmation wasn't needed?. "

Possibly. But not before they had been detained for a second night. The boss contacted the police on Saturday afternoon and they were not released until Sunday morning (by which time he had still not been contacted). So the couple were kept in custody for a second night when evidence that they almost certainly could not have been involved had come to light.
er sorry have we decided if they have a cliff-type claim ?

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