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Sky News Host Peta Credlin Issues Apology For Comments About South Sudanese Communities

Sky News Host Peta Credlin Issues Apology For Comments About South Sudanese Communities

The host admitted her statements were 'factually wrong' and she now 'deeply regrets the error'.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Sky News host Peta Credlin has issued a lengthy four-minute apology on-air for incorrectly linking Melbourne's South Sundanese community to a 2020 Covid-19 outbreak in the city.

The statements were broadcast on 26 June last year and Credlin has already apologised once for making them.

"In June last year, while commenting on the Covid-19 pandemic, the escalation of new infections in Victoria, and various public health measures, I incorrectly linked the South Sudanese community to a cluster of cases that had developed following an end-of-Ramadan dinner in Melbourne's northern suburbs," Credlin said on-air on Friday.

"This was factually wrong, and I again deeply regret the error.

"On the basis of that error, I made various other statements that I accept have caused genuine hurt and offence to South Sudanese community members. It was not my intention.

"My statements were understood to mean that the South Sudanese community had been reckless, irresponsible, or even deliberate, in breaching social distancing requirements, that the community had failed to adapt its cultural practices like other Australians, and that this was putting Australians at risk.

"I do not believe there was any truth to those inferences."

In the 2020 broadcast, Credlin alleged that 'poorly-assimilated migrants' from the South Sudanese community had ignored social distancing in an 'end-of-Ramadan feast'.

She went on to say that the state government's health orders hadn't reached the community because many of its members didn't understand English.

Credlin also claimed many of the migrants, especially the women, were unable to read English because they had been banned from attending school in their homeland.

At the time, Sky News issued a statement apologising for the comments on behalf of itself and Credlin.

"An editorial which aired during the Credlin program on Friday 26 June at 6pm AEST, incorrectly linked Melbourne's South Sudanese community to a COVID-19 outbreak," read a response from Sky News.

"Peta Credlin and Sky News Australia accept these comments were inaccurate and sincerely apologise for any offence caused by the remarks which have been removed from all platforms."

The Society of South Sudanese Professionals (SSSPA) said the report was 'irresponsible' and encouraged 'unfair targeting' of the South Sundanese community.

"SSSPA considers this report a serious assault on South Sudanese Victorians. Irresponsible journalism can cause immense damage and further smears against a community already unfairly targetted," the association said in a statement.

"But most importantly, South Sudanese people are abiding by COVID-19 restrictions, evidenced by extremely low numbers of infection in the South Sudanese community."

The organisation also clarified Credlin's statements about women and girls not being allowed to attend school, saying war and other factors had created these issues that impacted both boys and girls, not ideology.

In her broadcast, Credlin said since her initial apology in 2020 she had met with members of the South Sundanese community and realised her original apology was 'too limited' and 'caused further offence'.

She went on to clarify that the South Sundanese community was not involved with the end-of-Ramadan cluster and that 'more than 93 per cent of South Sundanese-born members of the community are Christian, not Muslim'.

"The South Sudanese community's compliance with Covid restrictions is not affected by a lack of English language skills," she said.

"Although I said that 15 per cent of the Sudanese-born community speak virtually no English and that many South Sudanese, especially women, were banned from attending school in their former homeland, what the statistics actually show is that the overwhelming majority, 96.5 per cent of South Sudanese-born migrants, speak some English, with around 84 per cent speaking only English or speaking English well or very well.

"The statistics also show that a large proportion of South Sudanese-born migrants are educated. I also was not clear that I was using statistics of South Sudanese-born migrants, and did not mention that many members of the community were born in Australia, educated here and read, write and speak English perfectly well. Some South Sudanese women felt I particularly singled them out for unfounded criticism, which I deeply regret."

Credlin went on to address her original statements that 32 per cent of South Sundanese-born migrants were unemployed, which she said was 'deeply offensive'.

"I extend to the South Sudanese community my sincerest apologies for these errors, and the hurt, humiliation and offence caused by the broadcast."

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Featured Image Credit: Sky News Australia

Topics: Australia