“CHISWICK HORROR IN EARLY HOURS”
The urgent headline on this evening’s Evening Standard screams the “Shocking” news that a man has been stabbed in Chiswick. Any death under these circumstances is deeply saddening, especially so when the victim is the innocent party at home in what is believed to be a safe environment.
However what is quite telling here is that the main theme of the story focuses on the location of the crime rather than the real tragedy, that someone’s dad has being murdered.
“Traditional middle class Chiswick”, “A favourite with the well heeled”, home to TV stars and the new breed of media villagers, no less.
I get the feeling that the wrong questions are being asked. How could this happen here of all places? Is nowhere sacred?. This is this the point where the crime we read about in the papers suddenly becomes out of control. Just round the corner from the greengrocer that supplies Downing St and a handful of top delicatessens.
Almost unthinkable.
The press ignores crimes like these in South and East London, it’s only when they come knocking at the doors of the rich and celebrated that the tabloid hysteria machine makes us take notice.
Sad also that the Evening Standard choose to show a picture of local resident Timothy Dalton alongside a detailed map of the wealthy suburb, rather than the victim. Whose name was Robert Symons.