ST apologises for using innocent woman’s image in article about alleged murderer

The Straits Times (ST) has apologised after publishing images of an innocent woman in articles about a domestic helper who allegedly murdered her employer.

In a now viral post, Facebook user Tan Junming Clarence revealed that the national broadsheet used the image of a Myanmar woman, who used to work as his domestic helper, in an article about an Indonesian helper who is on trial for murdering her employer.

Mr Tan wrote: “My sincere apologies to the deceased but Straits Times made my former helper famous while she enjoys the sun now back in Mymmar. Seriously, who is editing and choosing these pictures and what kind of filter is being applied before publication??”

Sharing personal pictures of his former helper with his baby, Mr Tan continued: “The other photo was taken in March 2018 after my 3rd born arrive. Murderer??? I didn’t know they let her out… Her last day with us was 18th March 2018. Talk about fake news, I have no idea what to believe now. I can’t believe where and how the photo was taken, you can even see her shirt is coincidentally the same. Should I laugh or cry???”

Indeed, the woman in the photos Mr Tan shared bears a striking resemblance to the woman in the Straits Times article. The helper in Mr Tan’s photo also seems to be wearing the same t-shirt as the woman in the Straits Times picture.

Another netizen pointed out that the Straits Times was carrying the same photo since 2016, when the murder occurred. She shared a screenshot of an article published three years ago, in 2016, that has a photo of the woman Mr Tan claims is his former helper:

ST has since apologised for the error. The publication clarified on its website: “In Wednesday’s report, “‘Homesick’ maid on trial for murder of employer,” we used a wrong photograph of the accused, Daryati. We are sorry for the error and apologise to the woman whose photo was used.”

Read Mr Tan’s post in full here: