The PCC said the Scottish News of the World article had breached two clauses of the editors’ code of practice relating to accuracy and treatment of children. It said there was sufficient information in the article and a pixelated photograph to identify the boy, and that there was insufficient justification for a photograph.
The newspaper said the piece was in the public interest and provided evidence, including a diary of alleged behaviour written by a neighbour, but the PCC said the most serious claims made in the article – that the boy had been expelled from several different schools and that he had been violent – could not be substantiated.
The boy’s father provided the PCC with confirmation from the council that his son had attended one school continuously, a letter from the child’s Boys’ Brigade minister, details of his medical condition, and a petition signed by more than 100 residents in support of the complaint.
The PCC adjudication said: "There was a public interest in reporting antisocial behaviour in communities and the newspaper clearly had some grounds for its story. However, the most serious claims about the boy’s behaviour could not be substantiated. This was a significant matter under the code, particularly given his age."
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