A Woman and the Sunday World

The Press Ombudsman has decided that there is insufficient evidence to allow him make a decision on a complaint  made by a woman that an article about her in the Sunday World on 23 March 2014 was in breach of Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The woman complained that a statement in the article, which described an incident in which it said she was involved, was in breach of Principle 1 because it was not true.

The newspaper stood over its report, and said that the incident complained about was witnessed by a number of sources, including the newspaper’s reporters.

Based on the evidence before him, the Press Ombudsman was not in a position to establish, or to investigate to a verifiable conclusion, the factual accuracy of the statement complained about, or of the complainant’s denial that the incident described in the statement took place.  In these circumstances, he was unable to make a decision on the accuracy or otherwise of alleged facts under Principle 1 of the Code.

 19 August 2014

The complainant appealed the Desision of the Press Ombudsman to the Press Council of Ireland.