APC brands Courier Mail ‘she male’ front page ‘gratuitous’ ruling it was not in public interest

The Courier Mail’s front page splash and ‘Monster chef and the she male headline’ on the murder of transgender Mayang Prasetyo has been branded “gratuitous” by the press watchdog.

The News Corp paper drew fierce criticism over its treatment of the murder of Prasetyo by her chef boyfriend Marcus Volke with the front page splash “Monster chef and the she male” and inside headline “Ladyboy and the butcher”.

Today the Australian Press Council has published a ruling that the Brisbane paper broke two general standards with the publication, but dismissed complaints it had broken a third relating to right of reply.