JANEY Godley has led the criticism of the BBC after it posted a tweet referring to the “favourite daughter” Ghislaine Maxwell - immediately after she was found guilty of sex trafficking minors.
The partner of deceased sex offender and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell faces spending the rest of her life in prison after a US court found her guilty on five charges linked to sex trafficking and the abuse of minors.
The ruling has dominated the headlines, with eyes turning to Prince Andrew’s ongoing legal battle with Virginia Giuffre, the woman who has accused him of sexually abusing her at several locations.
READ MORE: Prince Andrew sexual assault case hinges on Epstein-Giuffre agreement
It has also led to feature pieces in the media looking at Maxwell’s life in depth.
Sharing one such piece, the BBC wrote on Twitter: “Who is Ghislaine Maxwell? The downfall of a favourite daughter.” This was also the headline on the article.
The tweet has been widely mocked, with comedian Fred Delicious writing: “Who is Benito Mussolini? the downfall of a jolly man who made the trains run on time.”
Who was Peter Sutcliffe? The downfall of a reliable lorry driver.
— Batley (@BatleyBKK) December 30, 2021
Mogwai star Stuart Braithwaite added: “Who was Fred West? The downfall of a beloved builder.”
Following the pattern, other social media users quipped: “Who is Jimmy Savile? The downfall of a charity fundraiser”, and “Who is Harold Shipman? The downfall of a doctor”.
Who is David Percy? The downfall of a a favourite Glasgow son, also the man who got imprisoned for sexually abusing me and my sister and used to kick my dog to make me stop struggling from his grip -
— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) December 30, 2021
BBC, see how this looks? https://t.co/QWcrytXGK9
Emphasising the point, Janey Godley wrote: “Who is David Percy? The downfall of a favourite Glasgow son, also the man who got imprisoned for sexually abusing me and my sister and used to kick my dog to make me stop struggling from his grip - BBC, see how this looks?”
The headline has since been changed, from "Who is Ghislaine Maxwell? The downfall of a favourite daughter" to "Who is Ghislaine Maxwell? The story of her downfall".
The BBC has also changed its introduction to the piece, deleting the third sentence from this overview paragraph: "She was the toast of high society in London and New York. Now Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted of grooming and trafficking underage girls. After learning to serve her crooked father's whims, she then did the same for another tyrant, Jeffrey Epstein."
No note of the changes has been included on the article. A BBC spokesperson said: "It is common practice for headlines to be changed as stories develop."
The BBC also came under fire in the wake of Maxwell’s guilty verdict after it platformed lawyer Alan Dershowitz - without mentioning that he also faces accusations due to his close ties to Epstein.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel