SOS Racism: statement on the article "The best pickpockets are women of the Eastern countries"

Alert DateMarch 29, 2012 Country: Portugal General Type: Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Media Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Newspaper
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender Female
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Perpetrator Gender N/A
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

In the wake of the article "Best pickpockets are women of the East" published in the front page of  the Jornal de Notícias newspaper on the 26th March 2012, the SOS Racism Movement issued a press release where expresses repudiation by the contents and form of the artice [1].

According to the SOS Racismo press release, the title and content of the article connoting "women of the East" as the most skilled in the practice of robery expressed a xenophobic and offensive character for thousands of women from Eastern Europe who reside and work in Portugal, having received several complaints following its publication.

The press release quotes article 14 of the Journalist Statute (Act No. 1/99, of 13/01) concerning the journalist duties with a non-discrimination treatment "(...) in particular on grounds of descent, sex, race, language, territory of origin, religion, political or ideological convictions, education, economic situation, social condition or sexual orientation" and the Deontological Code for the Journalistic Profession in its article 8, stating that the journalist should "reject the discriminatory treatment of persons on the basis of colour, race, creed, nationality or sex" [2].

Sources:

  1. Jornal de Notícias, 26.03.2012, Mulheres do leste são melhores carteiristas (Best pickpockets are women of the East), http://www.jn.pt/PaginaInicial/Seguranca/Interior.aspx?content_id=2384334, Accessed on 02.04.2012.
  2. SOS Racismo, 29.03.2012, Comunidado de Imprensa (Press Release), http://www.sosracismo.pt/comunicado-de-imprensa/#.UQTrNhyZ72m, Accessed on 02.04.2012.