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Wife of Paul Weller calls for child press protection | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The wife of rock star Paul Weller has called for a change to the law to stop photos of children being published without parental consent. | The wife of rock star Paul Weller has called for a change to the law to stop photos of children being published without parental consent. |
Mr Weller, on behalf of his children, was awarded £10,000 by the High Court in April after photos of his children were published on the Mail Online. | Mr Weller, on behalf of his children, was awarded £10,000 by the High Court in April after photos of his children were published on the Mail Online. |
They were photographed in California and published without permission. | They were photographed in California and published without permission. |
Hannah Weller said she now wanted to "give children better protection from the prying eyes of the press". | Hannah Weller said she now wanted to "give children better protection from the prying eyes of the press". |
"It should be a criminal offence to violate any child's right to grow up free from media intrusion," she said outside London's High Court. | "It should be a criminal offence to violate any child's right to grow up free from media intrusion," she said outside London's High Court. |
Mr Weller and his wife sued Associated Newspapers for misuse of private information on behalf of their daughter Dylan, who was 16, and twin sons John-Paul and Bowie, who were 10 months old when seven unpixelated pictures of them appeared on the Mail's website in October 2012. | Mr Weller and his wife sued Associated Newspapers for misuse of private information on behalf of their daughter Dylan, who was 16, and twin sons John-Paul and Bowie, who were 10 months old when seven unpixelated pictures of them appeared on the Mail's website in October 2012. |
The images were published after a photographer followed Mr Weller, former frontman of The Jam and The Style Council, and his children in Santa Monica, California, and took photos despite being asked to stop. | The images were published after a photographer followed Mr Weller, former frontman of The Jam and The Style Council, and his children in Santa Monica, California, and took photos despite being asked to stop. |
The couple said the shots were "plainly voyeuristic". | The couple said the shots were "plainly voyeuristic". |
Associated Newspapers - which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and Metro - argued the images were innocuous and inoffensive. | Associated Newspapers - which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and Metro - argued the images were innocuous and inoffensive. |
'Unintended consequences' | 'Unintended consequences' |
It said the Wellers had previously chosen to open up their private family life to public gaze to a significant degree and said it planned to appeal the decision. | It said the Wellers had previously chosen to open up their private family life to public gaze to a significant degree and said it planned to appeal the decision. |
Mrs Weller said she had now decided to "make a stand against this threatening, aggressive and abusive behaviour". | Mrs Weller said she had now decided to "make a stand against this threatening, aggressive and abusive behaviour". |
She said: "As it stands, the decision about whether or not to thrust children into the media spotlight lies with the discretion of the editors of money-hungry newspapers and online gossip websites who are often more concerned with their own bottom line than the best interests of children. | She said: "As it stands, the decision about whether or not to thrust children into the media spotlight lies with the discretion of the editors of money-hungry newspapers and online gossip websites who are often more concerned with their own bottom line than the best interests of children. |
"These people have shown repeatedly that they cannot be trusted to make the right choices and so it is time to take this decision from them and make it a criminal offence to expose children in this way." | "These people have shown repeatedly that they cannot be trusted to make the right choices and so it is time to take this decision from them and make it a criminal offence to expose children in this way." |
Earlier, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the newspaper code of practice "is not adhered to". | Earlier, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the newspaper code of practice "is not adhered to". |
"It quite clearly says that you must not use a person's fame or notoriety as full justification to print information about a child's private life, yet they continue to do it almost on a daily basis," she said. | "It quite clearly says that you must not use a person's fame or notoriety as full justification to print information about a child's private life, yet they continue to do it almost on a daily basis," she said. |
However, Ian Murray, president of the Society of Editors, told the programme a new law could have "unintended consequences" and could act as a "deadening of freedom of expression in this country". | However, Ian Murray, president of the Society of Editors, told the programme a new law could have "unintended consequences" and could act as a "deadening of freedom of expression in this country". |
"The more simple you try to make the law the more basically you have the laws of unintended consequences and the more draconian it becomes," he said. | "The more simple you try to make the law the more basically you have the laws of unintended consequences and the more draconian it becomes," he said. |