| Two newspapers apologise to Vanessa Perroncel for breaching her privacy Two Sunday newspapers have quietly apologised to a woman who was the subject of a tabloid feeding frenzy earlier this year. Vanessa Perroncel was alleged in several papers to have had an affair with the Chelsea and England footballer John Terry. All sorts of personal and private information about Perroncel was published at the time, much it false.The first paper to make amends was the Mail on Sunday. On page 18 of its 4 July issue, it carried a single, but significant, paragraph:On January 31, we published some personal information about Vanessa Perroncel concerning an alleged affair with the footballer John Terry. We have since been informed she would have preferred this to remain private and it was untrue in any case. We apologise to Miss Perroncel for any distress caused.On Sunday, a very similar apology appeared on page 18 of the News of the World, which can also be found on its website. It read: VANESSA PERRONCELOn January 31 and afterwards we published some personal information about Vanessa Perroncel in articles concerning an alleged affair with the footballer John Terry.Miss Perroncel has since informed us that she would have preferred her personal information to remain private and it was untrue in any case. We apologise to Miss Perroncel for any distress caused. These apologies are remarkable. Both papers not only own up to having published private information but also admit it was inaccurate. They go a long way to vindicating Perroncel's public statements about press misbehaviour.In April this year, after Perroncel's lawyer sent letters warning of a possible action for breach of privacy to seven papers, I wrote:"Perroncel's story of her dealings with these papers is a catalogue of intrusiveness, inaccuracy and innuendo that amounts to a full-frontal character assassination."That followed an interview with Perroncel by Nick Davies in which she told him:"It is like a nightmare. Every day you think: 'What else are they going to say about me?' It is so intrusive and so false. Every day, so many lies – and then people making judgments because of the lies."At the time, several commenters to my blog poured scorn on both Davies and myself for accepting Perroncel's claims of newspaper distortion and lies.Now two papers have owned up and I wouldn't be surprised if a third was on the verge of being pressured into doing the same.It is to Perroncel's credit that she has pursued this matter over the intervening months. Rightly, The Guardian's lawyer, Gill Phillips, recently commended her for speaking out. Note also the comments critical of the News of the World by its readers, especially one by Marian: "This is bizarre! Is the News of the World surprised that she would have preferred her private life to remain private? What exactly is the News of the World apologising for? Are they apologising for what they now accept were lies?"Bizarre? Sadly, it's all too common. But too few tabloid "victims" - especially female victims - ever obtain apologies.News of the WorldJohn TerryMail on SundayNational newspapersNewspapersMedia lawThe GuardianRoy Greensladeguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Premier League chairmen give warm welcome to prospective new Liverpool owners Premier League executives believe Americans should be welcomed into English football with open arms. telegraph.co.uk |
Portuguese FA 'indignant' over Fifa investigation • Federation president hits out at 'unfounded suspicions'• Fifa is conducting investigation based 'on a rumour'The president of the Portuguese football federation, Gilberto MadaÃl, says the news that his country's joint bid with Spain to stage the 2018 World Cup was being investigated over allegations of collusion with the Qatar 2022 bid had been greeted with "surprise and indignation" by his organisation.The Iberian and Qatari bid teams are being investigated by Fifa's ethics committee regarding allegations they were conspiring to trade votes, sources close to football's world governing body told Press Association Sport yesterday.MadaÃl said: "We received with surprise and indignation the analysis that Fifa's ethics committee may conduct on a rumour… circulated in September in the English media about an alleged deal between the Iberian and the Qatari bids for hosting the World Cup."It is odd that there is an attempt to launch completely unfounded suspicions about the Iberian bid at a time when there are news reports about alleged vote-selling for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups involving other bids."Collusion between bidding countries is explicitly forbidden by Fifa's regulations, but Fifa chiefs have ruled out postponing the 2 December vote.Meanwhile the Oceania Football Confederation has appointed David Chung as its acting president following the temporary suspension of Reynald Temarii by Fifa's ethics committee.The sanction was imposed on the Tahitian, along with his fellow Fifa executive committee member Amos Adamu, after they were the subjects of an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times, who alleges the pair asked for cash in return for votes in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.Temarii has said: "I am 100% convinced of my integrity … I will prove I am an honest man."Adamu said yesterday: "Whilst I wholly refute all allegations made, I fully support the inquiry since it is important that these claims are thoroughly investigated."World Cup 2018Portugalguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Totenham Hotspur v Everton: Harry Redknapp forced to make changes after tiring Inter game Spurs face Everton without Ledley King following their 4-3 defeat at San Siro with manager Harry Redknapp expected to make changes. telegraph.co.uk |
Australian 2022 bid not in danger Football Federation Australia believes banned officials will have no bearing on its chances of winning the rights to host the 2022 World Cup finals. foxsports.com.au |