Channel 4’s ‘dehumanising’ Truth About Traveller Crime hit with more than 800 Ofcom complaints
I often feature travellers in Hinterland. I feel they are a mysterious and often misunderstood group. I really don’t like the sort of documentary profiled here, the fewer of these sort of stories the better!!
Channel 4’s controversial documentary Dispatches: Truth About Traveller Crime has been hit with more than 800 Ofcom complaints, with thousands more expected to flood in from the traveller community.
The 45-minute documentary hosted by Anja Popp focused on crime allegedly perpetrated by the community in the market town of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, which is home to 9,353 people, while exploring crimes linked to traveller sites across England.
In the documentary, Anja goes in search of the truth about crimes linked to traveller sites. She talks to members of the public who have experienced crime waves and intimidation, goes out on patrol with police dealing with rural incidents and hears from travellers and their advocates, who say they suffer prejudice and attack.
After the programme aired, national charity Friends, Families and Travellers, which works on behalf of all Gypsies, Roma and Travellers launched a complaint letter to Channel 4 and Ofcom, which already has over 7000 signatures.