Daily Mail faces backlash after reporting on child’s death by ‘gay father’
By Joshua Haigh
The Daily Mail have been slammed for reporting on the death of a child murdered by her father and primarily focusing on the abusers sexuality.
Matthew Scully-Hicks, a fitness instructor from Cardiff, was found guilty this week of assaulting, abusing and murdering his 18-month daughter several weeks after adopting her.
However, the Daily Mail have caused an uproar after reporting on the story and focusing on the abusers sexuality, rather than the death of the child.
Despite Scully-Hicks’ sexuality having no relevance to the child’s death, the Mail Online were quick to tweet: “Gay father is found guilty of murdering the 18-month-old daughter he adopted.”
The Daily Mail’s article also started with: “A gay fitness instructor accused of shaking his 18-month-old baby to death just a fortnight after he adopted her”.
Twitter users were quick to spot the news report and slammed the publication for their angle on the story.
One user wrote: “Sorry now but what difference does it make his sexuality, could ye not of wrote a fitness instructor? What do ya gain from writing gay fitness instructor!! I’m disgusted with ya!”
@MailOnline sorry now but what difference does it make his sexuality, could ye not of wrote a fitness instructor? What do ye gain from writing gay fitness instructor!! I’m disgusted with ye! #DailyMail #disgusted pic.twitter.com/mSnVrBe0J9
— Eanna Murphy (@Eanna86) November 6, 2017
A second wrote: No surprise the only headline mentioning that piece of sh*t Matthew Scully-Hicks was gay (as if there’s a connection) is from the Daily Mail.”
No surprise the only headline mentioning that piece of shit Matthew Scully-Hicks was gay (as if there’s a connection) is from The Daily Mail https://t.co/tEac6EFV0d
— Adrian Gosling (@digitalsunshine) November 6, 2017
Another user said: “As it’s the Daily Mail they of course will start with the sexuality. Such shit. It’s nothing to do with him being gay.”
As it’s the Daily Mail they of course will start with the sexuality. Such shit. It’s nothing to do with him being gay
— Bradlah (@Bradlah1) November 6, 2017
Shockingly, LGBT+ website Pink News also reported the story in a similar manner.
This isn’t the first time the Daily Mail have been slammed for their homophobic reporting.
Just last week the publication used a transgender man’s pictures without permission in a hateful anti-trans article and called the National Trust’s memorial for hanged gay men a “politically correct stunt”.
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