Class prejudice runs deep
Compare the coverage of the Nikki Allan murder with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Sixteen years ago I wrote this article (link below) for the Guardian, pointing out the huge gulf between the response to the Nikki Allan murder and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. I figured it was to do with social class, as well as location. Nikki was murdered close by her tenement flat in a run-down area of Sunderland. Her mother Sharon was a single parent, and had no profession or resources to tap into when she was spectacularly failed by police. Have a listen to my interview on BBC Look North today, during which I explain why I think class prejudice is at the root of the case.
Sharon Henderson with daughter Stacey and lawyer, Harriet Wistrich. Moments earlier, David Boyd had been sentenced to 29 years in prison for the murder of Nikki Allan.
My Guardian article from 2006: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/11/ukcrime.features11
From 2007: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jun/10/whydontyoucareaboutnikki
It is appalling how differently cases, victims, as well as perpetrators are treated and I think class indeed plays a big role! Thank you for digging into this, it is so important to do!
Thank you Julie