"Her name is Emma Caldwell!": Sky News criticized over coverage of 2005 murder as Iain Packer was sentenced to 36 years in prison

Iain Packer, who lured 27-year-old Emma Caldwell to a remote woods and strangled her in 2005, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to at least 36 years in prison. The verdict came on February 28 after a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where he was also convicted of 11 charges of r*pe against nine women.

Disclaimer: The following article talks about r*pe and murder which may be triggering for some. Readers' discretion is advised.

While the news was a huge triumph of justice, netizens were appalled at how Sky News covered the story of Packer's sentencing with the headline "Man found guilty of strangling s*x worker before dumping her naked body in a ditch."

The omission of Emma Caldwell's name from the headline and reducing her to just a s*x worker did not sit well with many on social media, with several users replying to the Sky News headline with:

"Her name is Emma Caldwell!"

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Netizens outraged by Sky News' coverage of Iain Packer's sentencing for Emma Caldwell's murder

Following the news of Emma Caldwell's murderer's sentencing, news agencies were keen on reporting about the details of the conviction. However, Sky News' coverage of the story, where it resorted to mentioning "s*x worker" in two separate headlines when referring to Emma Caldwell, sparked outrage amongst netizens.

The headlines were dubbed dehumanizing and disrespectful by many for omitting Emma Caldwell's name and resorting to using her profession as her identity. Here are some of the reactions from X.

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @Von2Highlands/X)

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @MapleFiltered/X)

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @tv_type /X)

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @ks_1968/X)

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @t4tbutch/X)

Netizens outraged at Sky News headline (Image via @DrProudman/X)

According to The Guardian, the Scotland police force is also under fire for its mismanagement in handling Caldwell's case and its callous attitude toward violence against s*x workers.

Caldwell's mother, Margeret, claimed that she felt "betrayed" and "angry" at the original police investigation that took so long for Packer to be arrested and convicted. As per The Guardian, Caldwell's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, called for an inquiry to look into police failings, saying:

“A toxic culture of misogyny and corruption meant the police failed so many women and girls who came forward to speak up against Packer. Instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to r*pe and r*pe again.”

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Emma Caldwell's killer brought to justice nearly two decades after her murder

According to the BBC, Emma Caldwell's body was found in Limefield Woods near Biggar, South Lanarkshire, in May 2005, nearly five weeks after she reportedly went missing.

During the trial, her mother told the court that the 27-year-old had resorted to using heroin as a means to cope with her grief after her older sister's death and had been making ends meet as a s*x worker.

The court also heard from one of Caldwell's friends that Iain Packer had reportedly become "obsessed" with her, stalking her and attempting to scare off her other clients.

As per The Guardian, Iain Packer, aged 51, was sentenced to at least 36 years in prison for Caldwell’s murder and was found guilty of 32 other charges against a total of 22 women on counts of multiple s*xual assaults and r*pe. This became the second-longest term awarded to a criminal in Scottish legal history.