Name and shame (campaign)

Last updated
Name and shame
DateJuly 23–30, 2000*
Location
United Kingdom
Caused by Murder of Sarah Payne, sensationalistic journalism
Resulted in
  • Lynch-mob attacks in England and Scotland
  • 150-people riot in Plymouth, South England
  • 2 deaths by suicide; 2 vigilante murders
Casualties
Arrested24+
* Date of the last published issue; mob violence continued afterwards

"Name and shame" [a] was a 2000 anti-pedophile public shaming campaign that resulted in several lynch-mob and firebomb attacks in England and Scotland, most having been directed at people wrongfully alleged to be pedophiles or child sex offenders. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The campaign was launched by then top-selling tabloid journal News of the World , owned by press magnate Rupert Murdoch and edited by Rebekah Brooks. The newspaper would publish sensationalistic articles about indiscriminate types of sex offenders, in which their identities and home addresses would be exposed. Name and shame was initially supported by deputy prime minister John Prescott and home secretary David Blunkett, although government authorities soon began to distance themselves. It was opposed by the liberal press, human rights groups and police agencies. [1] [3] [4]

Having published a total of two issues in seven days, name and shame was cancelled in August amid criticism from government bodies. Vigilante mob attacks and marches carried on after its termination. [5] [2] [6] Most of the anti-pedophile protestors were women and children. The campaign unsuccessfully called for laws allowing public access to sex offender registries in the country, which subsequently remained mostly restricted. [7]

History

Newsagent shop selling News of the World newspapers in London, 2011 Last of the News of the World - geograph.org.uk - 2499357.jpg
Newsagent shop selling News of the World newspapers in London, 2011

Following the abduction and killing of Sarah Payne in July 2000, News of the World began campaigning for laws that publicly disclosed personal details of people convicted of sex offenses. After the government stated that it had no plans to implement such laws, the newspaper, edited by Rebekah Brooks, began publishing names of sex offenders itself in name and shame on July 23, 2000. [8] [6]

After the first issue was published, several lynch mobs and protestors gathered in several parts of the United Kingdom. A group of mothers from Hampshire organized nightly marches and held "vigils" near homes of people convicted of sex offenders. In Paulsgrove, a life-size doll was hanged while protestors chanted "we'll lynch the pervs". A Greater Manchester man had his home surrounded by a mob of 300 people, who shouted "pedophile, rapist, beast, pervert" at him and dragged a six-year-old child to his door while asking "do you want this one?". The Guardian reported some instances of people who had died by suicide after being targeted by such mobs. During those gatherings, several participants told newspapers that they would lynch suspected sex offenders if given the opportunity. [4]

Another riot involving about 150 broke out in Plymouth, in which protestors attacked the police and destroyed property while carrying News of the World headlines. [2] The riot lasted for three hours and resulted in one police officer being sent to the hospital, another having a brick hit his face, and a car being set on fire. [9] In Portsmouth, 24 people were arrested during violent protests. [10]

The second and final issue of name and shame was published on July 30, 2000. Mob attacks continued to occur until at least November. Although the campaign promised to publish personal details of 100,000 people, it only had published 81 names before being cancelled in August. The major campaign was Brooks' first as editor of News of the World. [8] [6] [2] [5]

Victims

Notes

  1. ↑ Usually written in lowercase and between quotes.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Lister, David (2002). "Newspaper campaign led to series of attacks on innocent people". The Independent.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hoge, Warren (2000). "Britain Fights Tide of Anti-Pedophile Attacks". The New York Times.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Scott, Niall, ed. (2007). "Depraved Paedos and Other Beasts: The Media Portrayal of Child Sexual Abusers in Ireland and the UK". Monsters and the monstrous: myths and metaphors of enduring evil. At the interfaces, probing the boundaries. Amsterdam ; New York, NY: Rodopi. ISBN   978-90-420-2253-9. OCLC   176055573.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bell, Vikki (2002). "The vigilant(e) parent and the paedophile: The News of the World campaign 2000 and the contemporary governmentality of child sexual abuse". Feminist Theory. 3 (1): 83–102. doi:10.1177/1460012002003001068. ISSN   1464-7001.
  5. 1 2 "Vigilantes riot over pedophiles in England". CBC News. November 2000.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Harrison, Karen, ed. (2010). "Media constructions of, and reactions to, paedophilia in society". Managing high-risk sex offenders in the community: risk management, treatment and social responsibility (1. publ ed.). Cullompton: Willan. ISBN   978-1-84392-525-5.
  7. 1 2 "The campaign for 'Sarah's Law'". 2007-04-10. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  8. 1 2 Robinson, James (2011-07-28). "Sara Payne: the people at News of the World became my trusted friends". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  9. 1 2 Staff (2000-08-04). "News of the World suspends name-and-shame campaign". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  10. ↑ Staff (2000-08-14). "Protesters hand over 'paedophile list'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  11. ↑ Gazette, Press (2012-05-11). "A tale told too much - the paediatrician vigilantes". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  12. 1 2 Staff (2000-08-04). "Stop 'name and shame' says minister". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  13. ↑ "BBC News | UK | Families flee paedophile protests". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
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