Press Watchdog Slams Sun’s Rhys Jones Picture As Reprehensible

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has this afternoon condemned the Sun‘s decision to publish a topless picture of Sophie Rhys Jones, fiancée to Prince Edward, as a “grave error” by the paper’s editor David Yelland. The ten year old picture was published in last Wednesday’s Sun and within hours Buckingham Palace had issued a formal complaint to the PCC over the intrusive nature of the paper’s story.

Lord Wakeham, chairman of the PCC, this afternoon issued a statement saying that the decision to publish the pictures was reprehensible and that such a mistake must not happen again. The Sun was quick to apologise for the story later the same day and again in Thursday’s edition.

Illustrating the seriousness of the issue, Wakeham adds: “Any newspaper intruding into the privacy of any individual must be able to justify itself on the grounds either of genuine public interest or of consent. If it cannot, as happened in this case, it should not be printing an intrusive story. The Code of Practice which obliges all editors to this course of action is in their contract of employment – and I will not hesitate to bring any serious breaches to the attention of the employer concerned.”

Despite this, Lord Wakeham says that the issue with the Sun is not to be taken any further and that Buckingham Palace is satisfied with the contents of the PCC statement and a statement to be issued by the paper itself this afternoon.

Press Complaints Commission: 0171 353 1248