A film about the murder of 18-year-old Michael Causer in Liverpool and the subsequent lack of coverage by the national press was premiered at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool as part of the Homotopia festival, who say mainstream news ‘exclude’ homophobic violence.
Produced by the festival director, Gary Everett, ‘The Invisible Death of Michael’ says the killing of Michael only became well-known through social networking sites and specialised news media.
Mr Everett said: ‘Michael’s death was invisible to the London media. We must monitor how the media report these crimes.’
Michael was attacked as he slept after a house party in Huyton, Liverpool, in July 2008 by James O’Connor, 20, who dumped the seriously injured teenager in the street. Mr O’Connor and his friend, Michael Binstead, 19, then claimed to police that Michael had been attacked by strangers. He suffered a fractured skull and died in hospital from swelling on the brain a week later.
Merseyside Police believe that O’Connor attacked Michael because he was gay, but in court Mr Justice Timothy King accepted that O’Connor’s motivation was not homophobic and gave a prison sentence of 11 years and six months for the ‘brutal attack’. Binstead received a custodial sentence of 34 weeks, suspended for two years and 200 hours of unpaid work in the community for perverting the course of justice.
Marie and Michael Causer Snr said in a recent interview there may have been better justice for Michael’s death if they had not taken the advice from Merseyside Police not to talk to the press because it may jeopardise the trial. Mrs Causer said: ‘It was the sorriest thing I’ve ever done, but nobody approached us and I just wanted justice. I hope James Parkes gets the justice Michael never got.’
Trainee policeman James Parkes, 22, was the victim of a homophobic assault in Liverpool’s ‘gay quarter’ in October this year and the story was broadcast on national prime-time TV bulletins on the BBC and ITV. There has since been a huge response on Facebook, a candlelit vigil in Liverpool and a peaceful protest march is scheduled for the end of November.
At the film screening, Steve Hughes, 43, said: ‘Those events are really important for social acceptance. I went to the candlelit vigil and I think it shows people, gay or anybody won’t accept what happened that day. When the media report it as an outrage, hopefully people will realise that it is unacceptable.’
Mr Everett also talked about civil servant Ian Baynham, 62, who died in October after a homophobic attack in London. Mr Everett told the packed theatre he searched various television news programmes looking for a report but ‘not one channel’ featured the story whereas news of the singer Leona Lewis being punched in the face at a book signing was ‘all over it’.
Professor Chris Frost, Head of Journalism at Liverpool John Moores University, said: ‘What must be made clear, and what we forget at our peril, is that the media is not a keeper of national records, it is there to present news it thinks will interest its audience. Sometimes these editorial decisions are, to say the least, entirely arbitrary.’
Homophobic crime increased from 123 in 2007/08 to 174 incidents in 2008/09 on Merseyside, an increase of 41%. In London, homophobic crime rose from 1,008 to 1,192 incidents in a 12 month period from September 2008, an increase of 18.3%. Homotopia are planning to show the film at both gay and mainstream festivals to raise awareness of Michael Causer’s death and homophobic crime.
Chris Bradley
