Ofcom complaints after GB News guest likened Olympian’s child rape to ‘holiday romance’

Ofcom is assessing complaints over a GB Information dialogue by which a visitor likened the rape of a 12-year-old lady by a Dutch Olympic athlete to a “very inappropriate vacation romance”.

The feedback by broadcaster and author Emma Woolf about convicted baby rapist Steven Van de Velde, who made his Olympic seashore volleyball debut in Paris, prompted outrage on social media.

Van de Velde was sentenced to 4 years in jail in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape towards a 12-year-old British lady, when he was 19.

Talking on GB Information’s mid-morning Britain’s Newsroom present, Ms Woolf mentioned: “I do know 12-year-olds who’re sassy and act like they’re 16-year-old women.”

She likened the rape to a “very inappropriate vacation romance factor”, saying “it’s actually laborious if you make a mistake… and also you’re by no means allowed to be forgiven.”

Performing on the Olympics, the place Van de Velde has confronted boos, “should be a deeply uncomfortable expertise for him,” Ms Woolf steered. He had “turned his life round” for the reason that conviction, she mentioned.

She added that she thought calling the Olympian a baby rapist was “a bit sturdy” and never language she would use to explain him.

Ms Woolf additionally mentioned the rape was fallacious and Van de Velde was rightly convicted.

The common GB Information visitor was accused of “victim-blaming” when the alternate was shared on social media.

Martina Navratilova, the previous tennis champion, wrote on X: “Representing your nation is an honour, not a proper. This man dishonours his nation and dishonours the entire splendid of being somebody for youths to look as much as – and Emma is making an attempt in charge the 12 12 months outdated lady for the rape. Completely deplorable.”

The complete clip of the dialogue reveals Ms Woolf including: “If I used to be judged for the whole lot I did between the age of 12 and 19, I’d in all probability be in jail or one thing critical.”

Ofcom confirmed it had acquired complaints over the dialogue, broadcast on Monday.

A spokesman mentioned: “We’re assessing complaints towards our broadcasting guidelines, earlier than deciding whether or not or to not examine.”

The regulator will assess whether or not the feedback may trigger hurt and offence to viewers by showing to minimise acts of sexual violence. The daytime broadcast, when kids could possibly be watching throughout college holidays, could irritate any offence.

The regulator will even bear in mind whether or not different presenters challenged Ms Woolf, who was reminded on air that the lady was solely 12 on the time.

Paula Radcliffe had beforehand apologised for wishing “good luck” to Van de Velde earlier than he competed for the Netherlands in Paris.

The BBC pundit and four-time Olympian had steered the seashore volleyball participant shouldn’t be punished twice after being convicted for raping the lady when he was 19.

The attainable new investigation comes after Ofcom has mentioned it’s contemplating a statutory sanction towards GB Information, after the channel was discovered to have damaged due impartiality guidelines.

The printed regulator has discovered GB Information in breach of its guidelines 12 occasions because it launched in 2021. There are six different investigations nonetheless pending.

A equity and privateness criticism towards former presenter Dan Wootton was this week discontinued, Ofcom mentioned.

GB Information didn’t reply to a request to remark.