Take Back the News

How it could be done

Posted by Anna on July 15, 2007

This article has nothing to do with rape, but these lines stood out:

The owner of New Zealand’s largest kennel and cattery has been charged with animal cruelty – but he claims he’s the victim, not the animals he cares for.

Two cat owners returned from their holidays and claim their pets – Choco, a purebred Tonkinese, had a dislocated hip and a ginger cat called Basil was dehydrated – were injured in Sean Cleary’s care.

What the author has done is reported the harm done to the animals without assuming the guilt/responsibility of the accused.

I’ve written here about the use of the word ‘allegedly’, and how in rape cases it’s often used not just to not imply the guilt of the perpetrator, but to question whether the event actually occurred. The above article is an indication of how that issue could be tackled.

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