Abuse worker called BBC reporter an 'idiot' after he named victim, court told

A CHILD abuse support charity boss has told a court how a victim “panicked” when her name was broadcast live on a BBC radio report about her rape trial.

Jayne Senior, chief executive of Swinton Lock Activity Centre in Rotherham, was giving evidence yesterday (Thursday) at the trial of the BBC Asian Network editor, Arif Ansari, who is accused of publishing the name of a sex crime victim in breach of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.

Victims of sexual offences have lifelong anonymity under the act.

Mrs Senior told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court that she had heard the victim “screaming” because her name had been wrongly included in the 5pm news report last February.

The reporter who had written and delivered the live news bulletin was Mr Rickin Majithia, who had never been to a court before or reported on a court case. 

Mr Majithia mistakenly believed that the name given in court was a pseudonym, when in fact it was the victim's real name.

Mr Majithia’s script for the bulletin had been emailed to Ansari (44) at 4.35pm, the court heard.

Ansari said the victim’s name had been described as a pseudonym in it and he took it to be one. 

Mr Majithia had met Mrs Senior and the victim months before the incident during a visit to Swinton Lock when he was making a film about child sexual exploitation.

Mrs Senior said she had been in contact with Mr Majithia minutes before he was due to go live to ask him when his report about the woman's rape trial would be broadcast and was on the phone to the victim during the bulletin.

“I heard her start screaming and become quite panicky,” said Mrs Senior

“She said; ‘He’s named me’.”

Mrs Senior rang Mr Majithia because her instinct had been to get the report pulled as soon as possible.

“His initial response was he had not done it and he had used the name they used in court [which he believed was a fake name],” said Mrs Senior.

“I think I called him an idiot.

"I said: ‘It’s a criminal trial, are you stupid or something? Why would they use a fake name in a criminal trial rather than a real name?’”

Mrs Senior reported the incident to the National Crime Agency.

Ansari denies the offence. The trial continues.