Opposition Leader Says HOTP Crossed a Line
Amidst the rape allegations against the prominent attorney, Hot Off the Press, a purported online news outlet, published an article that amounted to victim shaming. In the one-sided piece, the outlet referred to the alleged victims as unemployed women who were at a nightclub socializing in the company of several other men. The caption was accompanied by surveillance footage from the establishment that revealed the identities of the alleged victims, and it can only be described as a breach of fundamental journalism ethics. But does the U.D.P. party leader think that Hot Off The Press crossed the line with the post? Here is how he responded to that question:
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“The point of the matter is, anybody could accused anybody of anything. There is a saying that the DA could indict a ham sandwich. So we have to be careful a society that we don’t reverse what justice is. Justice is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. That does not mean that as leader, as Prime Minister in waiting that I totally discount how unfair the justice system has been to women in the past, for generations. Whereas justice has not been accessible to women in these particular instance, whether it is these type of violent acts, rapes, whatever it is. So, I don’t agree that a woman being unemployed, or that a woman going out to a bar and being around other people of the opposite sex anyway erodes her credibility as citizen of this nation, to make an accusation. I don’t see how that video or that commentary erodes the credibility of the people complaining in this instance. There are other facts that I have been privy to, but I won’t comment on those facts at this time. I don’t believe in re-victimizing anyone. We have to have a balance as to the freedom of the press, the freedom of this media entity, whether it is a certified media entity. If you feel it is victim shaming, I could see how you arrive at that position. I would not have wanted that to be a story they did. I don’t think it is helpful to the accused. I think, there are many people that share your opinion that it is victim shaming. So I believe it is regrettable.”
Reporter
“So, you believe that HOTP crossed a line do you?”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“I can concede that yes.”
