When Is a 14-Year-Old Girl a ‘Woman’

…The girl was apparently born August 19, 1991. Yet a widely published AP story today by Robert H. Reid repeatedly referred to the girl, whose last name was al-Janabi, as a ñyoung Iraqi woman” and later again as a “woman.” The story was in reference to the gag order being requested by attorneys for Steven D. Green, an ex-soldier who is one of the men charged with the rape and murders. It begins: “An al-Qaida-linked group posted a Web video today purporting to show the mutilated bodies of two Fort Campbell soldiers, claiming it killed them in revenge for the rape-slaying of a young Iraqi woman by American troops from the same unit.”

A separate AP story today by Juan Lozano, on the soldiers’ families defending them, also refers to the girl as a “young woman.” Another Reid story later in the day on suicide bombings also used “young Iraqi woman.”

In Tuesday’s Washington Post, an article by Joshua Partlow refers to the teen as an ñIraqi woman.î USA Today featured the AP “young woman” story. The CNN site called the victim a “young female” and a “woman.” A CNN report aired Tuesday by Nic Robertson continued to refer to the child as a “young woman.” So did the BBC.

Jim Lehrer on his PBS “NewsHour” last night referred to her a “woman.” At the CBS News site today, a joint CBS/AP story uses “young woman.” The Houston Chronicle goes with “young Iraqi woman” in an article by James Pinkerton for Wednesday’s edition.

Yet a full day earlier, and again today, The New York Times was calling her a “girl.” The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday referred to her as a “teenage Iraqi” and later as a “teen.” Bloomberg used “girl” and McClatchy’s dispatch chose “teenager.” Reuters simply stated her age: 14.
editorandpublisher.com

Relatives defend soldiers in rape case
…”He has very good morality,” Sanchez said, adding that he was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. “I know he’s not the kind of person who’s going to do something like this, especially to disrespect a woman. I don’t think so. I don’t see him that way.”

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