Should the authorities and newspapers be allowed to do this?

It's similar to that young girl in her 20s who died of a heart-attack whilst using a vibrator a few months ago. They printed all the details. There was no need. There was a thread on here about it.
 
Andy90 said:
You would be wrong in this assumption.

Coroners Courts are open to the public. The press can also attend. The full facts of the individuals death are read out in the Court. This includes detailed autopsy reports (can be very heavy with medical terms), Police testimony, Antecedent Statements (these are statements take from next of kin etc. to establish the deceaseds background and upbringing etc.,)

The Coroner will often read out the medical reports and certain statements, but will then question witnesses that they call to the Court.

The relatives of the deceased are known as 'interested parties' and can also question witnesses if they wish.

It would be extremely difficult for the facts of this mans death to be hidden in an open Coroners Court, however distressing for the relatives.

You can bet your last pound that the Press will report salacious stuff like this since it sells newspapers.
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It wasn't an assumption- I worked in the Press for 8 or so years. Journo wouldn't sit in Coroners' court all day waiting for something to come along, they will get a release or copy of records flagged up to them and take it from there. Works both ways; when the Police want to make an example of a dirty scoundrel they send over the mug shots to the papers etc...
 
[TW]Fox;17553644 said:
I doubt it was a knocking shop - and what relevence is the school? It was behind closed doors.

A sad story.
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Same thing struck me reading the article ... there was no point mentioning the school other than to try and make the story more than it was ... it's not as if any one remotely school aged was involved.

I don;t even think that there was any real need to include the name of the road they lived on either.
 
Youstolemyname said:
when the Police want to make an example of a dirty scoundrel they send over the mug shots to the papers etc...
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This seems weird to me.
The world I live in at the moment is all about data protection and I'm always questioning who I can give information out to but luckily the Data Protection Manager sits about 30 foot away from me.
She has always got the Police knocking on her door wanting information about patients and usually she tells them no but when it comes to the Police it seems they can give up any information they want to.
 
Youstolemyname said:
It wasn't an assumption- I worked in the Press for 8 or so years. Journo wouldn't sit in Coroners' court all day waiting for something to come along, they will get a release or copy of records flagged up to them and take it from there. Works both ways; when the Police want to make an example of a dirty scoundrel they send over the mug shots to the papers etc...
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You may find that the paper will ring the Court that morning asking if there is a Coroners Court sitting. Coroners Courts often sit on the same day each week. In the City I work in, the local press regularly send junior reporters to the Coroners Court. In fact on the six occasions last year and the two occasions this year that I've given evidence there has been at least one reporter and often two.
 
Youstolemyname said:
It's public interest because it was a bunch of OAPs running a knocking shop next to a school....
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There's a big difference (to paraphrase some or other) between what the public are interested in, and the public interest.


As for the leaking of the story, I doubt it was the Press Office, but more likely an individual police officer for either money or as a favour.



M
 
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