Summary of complaint
We’ve received complaints from readers unhappy about our description of one of the defendants in a court case as a woman in our article 'Predatory' woman who incited man to abuse child, 4, jailed.
Our response
We reported on the sentencing at Manchester Crown Court of 31-year-old Naomi O’Brien for five offences connected to child sex abuse. She was described by a police detective inspector as a ‘predatory woman’ and we reported this.
Some readers objected to us describing her as a woman, maintaining she was transgender and had previously been a man.
Our reporting was based on the court proceedings and on a press release issued by Greater Manchester Police in which they describe Naomi O’Brien as a female. They told us that “she identifies as a woman”. They used female pronouns in their press release and we reported accordingly.
We are aware of the sensitivities around use of pronouns however ý News editorial practice is to refer to trans people as they refer to themselves. In our reporting we use the term and the pronoun used by the person in question, as we did here.