#MeToo documentary reveals survivors’ names without consent

The first rule of reporting on sexual assault is to get consent from survivors that you can use their name, image, or identifying details. Australian public broadcaster ABC screwed that up pretty badly when it began early embargoed distribution of a documentary that is actually about—seriously—#MeToo.

In late October, ABC uploaded a version of Silent No More to their own subscriber-only portal in order to give early access to journalists. Only the outlet forgot, critically, to blur the faces, names, and identifying details of three women in the film. Southern Pictures, which produced the documentary, said the lack of discretion was due to “human error.”

A woman who has been given the pseudonym Mary told journalist Tracey Spicer that she had been the victim of a gang rape involving a colleague. She said she contacted Spicer because she wanted to tell her story; she did not, however, agree to appear in Spicer’s film. The message exchange between the two flashes on the screen, showing Mary’s “industry, occupation, and states the year her rapist was convicted of a similar offence,” BuzzFeed reported. 

“This is the first I’ve heard about the documentary,” Mary told BuzzFeed News and News.com.au. “I didn’t consent to [my name] being on the screen.”

Another woman, given the pseudonym Tiffany, told Spicer her story and, like Mary, was “aghast” that she was identified in the documentary, BuzzFeed reported.

“I sent a private DM to an individual woman,”  Tiffany said. “I didn’t expect my comments to end up in a documentary to be broadcast publicly. There has clearly been harm done and I’d like that on the record. There is a duty of care if you’re using people’s stories.”

Tiffany revealed in her message to Spicer details about her alleged perpetrator and is now fearful. “I am really concerned that ... people around [the alleged offender] could tell him,” she told BuzzFeed. “I’d like to tell my story but you need control, this feels like losing control.”

She is also a victim of domestic violence and said that it would have also made it very dangerous for her to appear in the documentary.

“I would like the ABC to acknowledge what they have done,” Tiffany said. “There has clearly been harm done and I’d like that on the record. There is a duty of care if you’re using people’s stories … We need ethical standards in journalism to protect people like ourselves, who share stories.”

Southern Pictures and ABC have taken down the early release and said in a statement: “We removed the program from our media portal as soon as we became aware of the error. The welfare of those who have suffered sexual abuse or harassment is of utmost importance to the ABC and we wish to assure them that Silent No More will treat these issues with respect and care while shining a light on the need for positive change in this area.”

Spicer, for her part, said she was “utterly gutted about what has occurred, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Silent No More will begin airing in three parts on November 25 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.