An investigation by freelance data-crunching specialist Duncan Campbell revealed in The Guardian and PC Pro this week that ‘thousands of cases under Operation Ore [which hunts internet-using paedophiles] have been built on the shakiest of foundations”.
In some of these mistaken prosecutions, the accused were subject to widespread publicity in the press and will have forever-tarnished reputations.
The main blame for this obviously lies with the police officers who relied on faulty computer data.
But the media had a role to play as well, and journalists need to remember at the early stages of all coverage – from initial questioning through to trial – that defendants are innocent until proved otherwise.
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