Catalunya Ràdio defends hiding the origin of criminals to 'avoid stigmatizing'

The succession of several homicides in a few days has once again raised alarms about insecurity in Catalonia. The issue has been addressed on Catalunya Ràdio. Former deputy Montserrat Nebrera expressed an opinion increasingly accepted socially but still met with much resistance in the media establishment.

She pointed out three issues that are often behind violent crimes: family clans, youth gangs, and drug trafficking. She recalled that in all these cases, origin is usually an important factor.

But the program's host, Ricard Ustrell, quickly interrupted her to impose the network's standard.

"We have to try not to attribute it to specific groups, because we do no favors," said the host. He insisted that "we have to separate" the rise in crime from the origin of the criminals. "We could also say they are young, that they are lame, or that they are I don't know what," he argued.

The former director of TV3, Vicent Sanchís, countered that youth or lameness are not relevant factors in crime. In contrast, origin does help to understand some criminal modalities. "We have to avoid stigmatizing certain groups, but we have the obligation to explain what is happening," said Sanchís.

Journalism lesson for Ustrell

Ustrell insisted that origin doesn't determine crime, but Nebrera and Sanchís left him without arguments.

"These groups have a specific modus operandi and can't be ignored by those responsible for prevention," pointed out the former deputy. Once this argument was exhausted, the host brought up the economic situation argument.

"Why do you highlight origin and not, for example, economic condition," pointed out Ustrell. "People are not more or less violent because they are poor," Nebrera countered, "but there are modus operandi associated with certain groups." And she clarified that "obviously within the group there are people who commit crimes and people who don't."

The panelists reminded the host that his obligation is to inform, and that he can't hide information for fear of stigmatizing.

This is especially serious considering that Ricard Ustrell directs the morning news program on public radio. And one of the most listened to in Catalonia.

Informing about origin

This type of argument has become so outdated that even people not suspected of being right-wing are starting to dismantle them. Recently, an expert exposed Jordi Basté on RAC1. She stated that hiding the origin of criminals no longer works and ends up generating the opposite effect.

"If we hide the origin, we don't contribute to not stigmatizing but to not understanding what is happening," pointed out Vicent Sanchís. "Traffickers don't come to Catalonia because they are hungry, but because they know they can commit crimes," added Montserrat Nebrera.

Two common-sense opinions in front of a disarmed Ustrell who ended up waving the white flag.