Paul Sheehan suspended by Sydney Morning Herald over false rape story

Herald editor-in-chief Darren Goodsir says Sheehan has been ‘stood aside until further notice’ over story that alleged rape by Muslim men had been ignored


Rape shame: the Paul Sheehan article from the Sydney Morning Herald on 22 February Photograph: Staff for the Guardian

The Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul Sheehan has been “stood aside until further notice” over his false story of the woman “Louise” who claimed she had been raped and beaten by Arabic-speaking men.


The Herald’s editor-in-chief, Darren Goodsir, issued a statement on Friday citing unacceptable breaches of fundamental journalistic practice.



“I have concluded a formal review into the column “The horrifying untold story of Louise”, published on Monday, February 22,” the statement said.



“The article has since been retracted, and on behalf of the Herald, I once again unreservedly apologise for the column and the hurt and distress it understandably caused. The formal review, which included a comprehensive examination of editorial processes, found unacceptable breaches of fundamental journalistic practice.


“The columnist, who has also apologised for the report and admitted this serious lapse, will stand aside from his duties until further notice.



“The Herald’s reputation is founded on the trust our readers give us to provide fair, balanced and independent journalism, and it is critical that the editorial integrity of the Herald is maintained.”

It remains unclear whether Sheehan will return to the SMH. He did not immediately comment on his suspension.



Sheehan’s inflammatory column said NSW police had ignored a woman who complained that she had been brutally raped and bashed by a group of Arabic speaking men.



The conservative columnist, who has a history of denigrating the Muslim community, apologised to police for the original column. The column was so graphic in its details of an anal, oral and vaginal rape that it deeply upset many readers. The Herald ran the piece off its front page and it appeared across Fairfax Media’s websites.



It was initially amended on 24 February, as Sheehan wrote a second column admitting “the possibility that her story had been carefully constructed on a foundation of embellishments, false memories and fabrications”.



On Monday the paper published an apology, and Sheehan added his “regret”.

The column was finally removed from the websites on Wednesday, more than a week after publication.

The Facebook post promoting the original story was not removed until Friday.

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