BBC refused to pay alleged paedophile victims as a matter of principle
An alleged sex abuse victim demanded money from the British Broadcasting Corporation for him to tell his story. The request was turned down by the BBC, which stressed that “on a matter of principle, we do not pay victims of such events.”
UK media following Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Malta were stunned to hear that the victims of an alleged child abuse scandal involving Maltese clergymen were demanding money to be interviewed.A BBC official in London yesterday told MaltaToday that a request was forwarded to local TV journalist Lou Bondi, who is acting as a spokesperson for the group.
“We asked for an interview with victim Lawrence Grech for one of our radio programmes, but Mr Bondi asked us to pay up for the interview,” the spokesman said.
He added: “The BBC has no problem with paying people it interviews, but when it comes to interviewing a victim in cases like these, as a matter of principle it is considered to be a rather odd request.”
Contacted yesterday, Lou Bondi confirmed he was approached by the BBC as the spokesman for the victims, and that he forwarded a request for money by the victims.
Bondi however stressed that the request was made in a bid to “put off” the BBC from pursuing with its request for interview, “given many other interviews” the victims have lined up.
In a short question and answer over the phone, Lou Bondi said the following about the matter:
MT: Can you confirm or deny, that you as a representative of the victims, asked for money from foreign media?
LB: “No, from what I know, no.”
MT: But we know, from our sources that the BBC has approached you as the victim’s spokesperson.
LB: “Ah yes, there was this radio show in Manchester who asked for an interview. But basically he had a lot of choices of interviews from which to choose. So he asked for money to put them off.”
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