[Media-watch] FW: Illegal immigrants

[Mark and Andrea]

Response from Richard Sambrook

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Sambrook-Internal [mailto:richard.sambrook at bbc.co.uk]
Sent: 22 April 2004 18:41
To: megandmark at tiscali.co.uk
Subject: RE: Illegal immigrants


Dear Mr. Priestley,

Thank you for your recent email concerning our coverage of Andrezej
Kunowski.

I enclose a copy of the transcript of the piece you refer to at the end
of this email.  Having read the story myself again, I would say that his
status as an illegal immigrant is clearly relevant to the story  - as he
'fled Poland while under investigation for another attack on a young
girl'. 

As the police officer himself says in the piece, it was the system that
was at fault by letting him in: "I find it impossible to understand how
he was allowed into the UK to commit this crime."

I hope this answers your concerns. 


Here's the transcript:
An illegal immigrant from Poland has been sentenced to life imprisonment
for murdering a 12-year-old girl.  Andrezej Kunowski, who's 48, attacked
and strangled Katerina Koneva as she arrived home from school in west
London seven years ago. A serial rapist, Kunowski had fled Poland while
under investigation for another attack on a young girl. 
(VT FOLLOWS)


JUNE KELLY:  Katerina Koneva's mother was in court to see the man who
murdered her child seven years ago finally brought to justice. A police
officer read out a statement on her behalf. MALE POLICE OFFICER: Today I
do not feel that justice has been done. I hope that this evil murderer
burns in hell. Knowing that he is in prison is not enough for me. 
JUNE KELLY: A serial sexual offender Andrezej Kunowski committed
offences against 26 women and girls in his native Poland before he
arrived in Britain. MALE POLICE OFFICER:  I find it impossible to
understand how he was allowed into the UK to commit this crime. 
JUNE KELLY: Kunowski killed Katerina a year after arriving in Britain.
The systems then in place failed to uncover his criminal record. Since
then the procedures have been changed. Kunowski followed Katerina to her
home in Hammersmith in west London. It was the first time the
12-year-old had been home alone. CCTV footage shows Kunowski escaping
from Katerina's father who'd arrived home. He found his daughter
strangled. 
DAVID LITTLE:  He's probably the most prolific sex offender I've ever
come across, an absolute danger.  And today's conviction will hopefully
keep him off the streets for life. JUNE KELLY: And from a bereaved
father there was this tribute to his daughter. 
TRAJCE KONEV : She was such a beautiful angel. She was such a good in
school. She was perfect in school. 
JUNE KELLY: The judge said life in prison would mean life. Kunowski
would never be freed. 

Yours sincerely,

Richard Sambrook
Director BBC News

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark and Andrea [mailto:megandmark at tiscali.co.uk] 
Sent: 01 April 2004 22:15
To: zzRichard Sambrook-External
Subject: Illegal immigrants


Dear Richard

I have not written to you for some time, as I appreciate the
difficulties you have faced post-Hutton. However, I must express my
reservations about the reporting of the rape and murder of a 12 year old
girl on last night's 10pm bulletin.

The immigration status of the murderer was mentioned several times. he
may have been an illegal immigrant, but I wonder how relevant this was
to the specific crime, which could easily have been committed by a
British national. The prominence given to this issue, especially coming
as it did after the reporting of the Home Office/Romania affair, can
only serve to feed the increasing paranoia and moral panic on the issues
of immigration and asylum, whipped up as they are by the tabloid press.
Surely the BBC has a moral duty to exercise care in its reporting, so as
not to contribute to this.

As ever I would welcome your comments.

----

Mark Priestley
Beechwood
Ochil Road
Menstrie
FK11 7BW

Tel. 01259 769007



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