The media’s delay in sharing Axel Rudakubana’s mugshot raises questions about legal protocols and public safety following his guilty plea for multiple murders.
Rudakubana, just 18, admitted to killing three young girls. The mugshot that finally got released shows him looking pretty intense. But before that, people were wondering why they hadn’t seen it.
Turns out, the media couldn’t get their hands on the mugshot until the police released it. They had to wait until after the guilty plea. It’s all about the law and who owns the rights to those images.
Merseyside Police held onto the mugshot until the verdict was in. They’re the ones who can release it, and they can only do that after a guilty verdict unless there’s a court order stopping it.
Some folks on social media were pretty upset about this. One person even said it felt like the media had an agenda by showing an old photo of him instead. But the truth is, the media just didn’t have the mugshot until the police gave it to them.
The rules around this stuff are strict. If journalists break them, they could face serious consequences. So, it’s not just a free-for-all when it comes to sharing images from court cases.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer even weighed in, calling the stabbings a “terrorist attack.” He emphasized the importance of not releasing details too soon to ensure justice for the victims.
Now, Rudakubana is set to be sentenced soon, and people are eager to see what happens next. It’s a tough situation, and the legal side of things is just as complicated as the crime itself.
