Complaint
This online article reported on the outcome of the misconduct hearing in connection with the occasion on which Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo de Santos had been stopped and searched by police.听 A reader complained that it was misleading and biased, in stating that the stop-and-search had amounted to gross misconduct (whereas there had been no finding that conducting the search had been unjustified) and in failing to report that no racial bias on the part of the officers involved had been found.听 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 麻豆社鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.听
Outcome
The article reported that two officers had been sacked 鈥after carrying out a stop-and-search of two athletes which was found to have amounted to gross misconduct鈥.听 The panel which conducted the hearing said of the two officers: 鈥Given the breach of the Standard of Honesty and Integrity, within an operational context, arising as it did during the course of an encounter with members of the public in which coercive powers were used, the panel was satisfied that conduct of PC Franks and PC Clapham amounted to 鈥楪ross Misconduct鈥 as the breach was so serious as to justify dismissal鈥.听 This indicates the panel took the view that the use of coercive powers by the two officers during an encounter with members of the public did amount to gross misconduct, irrespective of whether the stop and search decision had been justified. 听The ECU considered the wording of the article accurately reflected the panel鈥檚 findings in this respect.
In relation to racial bias, the ECU noted the article reported the couple鈥檚 claim that they had been racially profiled by the police and included responses to the panel鈥檚 finding from a number of interested parties who also expressed concern about a possible racial element in the officers鈥 conduct.听 The ECU also noted the panel鈥檚 finding that the officers had not treated the couple less favourably because of race and considered that the omission of this information meant readers were not given an accurate summary of the panel鈥檚 conclusions.听 This aspect of the complaint was upheld.听 However the ECU did not agree that the omission resulted in a breach of the 麻豆社鈥檚 standards of impartiality because the article reflected an appropriately wide range of views on the use of stop and search powers in London, including that of the Metropolitan Police.
Partly upheld
Further action
The finding was reported to the Board of 麻豆社 News and discussed with the editorial team concerned. 听The article has been appropriately amended.
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