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Sunday Mirror publishes wrong photo identifying
rapist, gets egg on face
For the Sunday Mirror, it seemed to be an enormous
exclusive photo for front page . When the error was noticed,
it was equally enormous.
MeDiaMaMu
April 25, 2005: Ever wondered what happens when the media
publishes incorrect information? The seemingly small mistake
may cost more than the reporter's job and a few frayed nerves.
In 2004, Piers Morgan was sacked as editor of the British
newspaper Daily Mirror, after printing faked
photographs of abuse by troops in Iraq. Besides that, it may
also cost a million-odd bucks.
 Just such
a thing may happen to British tabloid Sunday Mirror. On
April 17, 2005, the Sunday Mirrorcarried a picture of
serial offender Iorworth Hoare, inspecting yachts in a seaside
resort, flashing it on their front page as “World Exclusive.”
The only glitch being that the person in the picture was not
the criminal in question. As soon as the paper realised the
gigantic mistake, it stopped the presses, pulped 1,40,000 –
1,50,000 copies, and changed the front pages of most of the
first editions.
But, by then, the damage was done. Thousands of copies had
already been sold in the market and could not be retrieved
despite a massive effort by the paper. Also, as the story and
photo had been sent earlier as a preview to the reputed BBC
for broadcast, Sunday Mirror had to confess the mistake
to the broadcaster and request that it be omitted from any
reviews. A leading media lawyer has said that the error could
cost the Sunday Mirror over £50,000 in libel damages.
Who is Iorworth Hoare?
52-year old Iorworth Hoare, originally from Leeds, was
jailed several times for a string of sex attacks, including
rape, during the 1970s and 1980s. He was jailed for life in
1989 for a crime portfolio that consisted of one rape, two
attempted rapes and three indecent assaults. He was released
from Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset on 31 March 2005 on
strict conditions under a life licence. The conditions mean
Hoare will always have to meet probation requirements and
could be taken back into custody if he breaches his parole
terms.
On August 7, 2004, Hoare was one of three winners to share a
£21m Lotto Extra jackpot, while on release from Leyhill open
prison, in South Gloucs. Under Home Office guidelines,
prisoners on temporary release from jail are allowed to play
the lottery. News of his win provoked a public outcry. Thus,
Hoare became known as the “lotto rapist”.
Many people felt he was undeserving and should show he has
seen the "errors of his ways" and give his £7m windfall to
rape victims. Despite this, the Home Office said it could not
stop him collecting the prize as under their guidelines,
prisoners on temporary release from jail are allowed to play
the lottery.
On March 31, a Home Office spokesperson said that no measures
had been put in place to ensure that victims benefited from a
lottery windfall if won by a criminal. He added that they
couldn’t prevent prisoners from playing or winning the lottery
as it could land them in the European Court of Human Rights.
Sunday Mirror is hardly bothered now about the riches
of Iorworth Hoare. It only fears that a libel suit by the
hapless man featured as the lotto rapist may drain the paper
of its fortunes. Sunday Mirror eagerly hopes that the
man never notices his photo in the daily’s front page and call
his lawyer. Heartburn could never get worse.
MeDiaMaMu
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