[Media-watch] FW: Illegal immigrants

[Rose Frain]

Thank you for posting this follow-up

His status is indeed relevant in the case

Rose F


On Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 07:04  pm, Mark and Andrea wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
> BBCi at http://www.bbc.co.uk/
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