Complaint
A viewer complained about a lack of references to male victims in a discussion about domestic violence.  The ECU considered whether the programme met ´óÏó´«Ã½ standards for due accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The programme dealt with the domestic violence faced by women in Northern Ireland, in light of the launch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) action plan.  In the ECU’s view listeners would have understood this is what the conversation was about – and the risk they would have looked to it for an understanding of how men can be victims was limited, as was the risk they would have been materially misled on this point.  The PSNI plan set out how women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence and related crimes, with ONS statistics supporting this premise.  There was ample editorial justification, therefore, for focusing on the impact on women and girls. Â
Whilst it is unarguable that men can be victims of domestic violence and women perpetrators, it does not follow that programmes cannot focus on or look in detail at female victims, or that to do so is a breach of standards.
Not Upheld