With his one-sided reporting, Enoch (2014) confirms a pejorative image of Rroma as unscrupulous traffickers. Without wanting to trivialise real human trafficking, which must be fought by all means, mixing different topics and the ideological instrumentalization of the event raises questions. On one hand, Enoch reports about a Polish Rroma family, who is said to have lured several Polish families to England, where they were forced into slave labour. The situations described are awful, and range from repeated use of force to sexual assault and modern slavery. On the other hand, it is sufficient for Enoch to describe the perpetrators as Rroma. Other motives for the crime are not mentioned. Nor how the Poles were lured to England. Instead, the ethnicity of the perpetrators is cited as a self-explanatory motive for the crime. Thus Enoch suggests a clear link between the ethnicity of the perpetrators and the offences committed by them, what is openly racist. Mentioning of an ethnic group in connection with criminal offences is extremely problematic, because it promotes a highly one-sided picture of the portrayed group. This does not conform with the lifestyle of a vast majority of the minority. That Enoch’s article is also biased by ideological and political values can be seen from the terminology used and the reasoning of the journalist. He states: “A family of Roma gypsies tricked three fellow Poles into moving to London, where one was forced into slavery and subjected to beatings – and all had their National Insurance numbers used to rip off the benefits system, a court heard.” The accusation that all Rroma from Eastern Europe want to apply for social benefits in England in order to enrich themselves, can often be read in the newspaper (compare Reid 2014, Reilly 2014, Jay 2014). Through these articles it becomes evident that the newspaper is not interested in a factual, scientific treatment of the events, but willingly mixes these with stereotypes and ideological opinions.
- Enoch, Nick (2014) Gypsy family ‘tricked Poles into moving to London where one was made a slave and subjected to beatings – and used their National Insurance numbers in benefits scam’. In: Daily Mail online vom 1.5.2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2617988/Gypsy-family-trick-Poles-moving-London-make-one-slave.html
- Jay, Martin (2013) Roma gypsies should be guaranteed cash hand-outs and police protection, claims London MEP. In: Daily Mail online vom 7.5.2013. URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320898/Roma-gypsies-guaranteed-cash-hand-outs-police-protection-claims-London-MEP.html
- Reid, Sue (2014) ‘Your benefits system is crazy. It’s like finding a sackful of cash left on the road’: How shocking admission by Rudi and his huge Romanian family debunks Eurocrat’s claims that ‘benefit tourism is a myth’. In: Daily Mail online vom 14.2.2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2559776/This-week-Eurocrat-told-Britain-benefit-tourism-myth-read-Rudi-huge-Romanian-family-say-new-home-Your-benefits-crazy-Its-like-finding-sackful-cash-left-road.html#ixzz2tNKtxKI5
- Reilly, Jill (2014) ‘I know it’s easy to take benefits in England’: Gipsies who move to Britain reveal how they claim thousands of pounds every month as part of their bundle of benefits even though they do not work. In: Daily Mail online vom 3.4.2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595815/I-know-s-easy-benefits-England-Gipsies-Britain-reveal-claim-thousands-pounds-month-bundle-benefits-not-workxxx.html