Appalling

The Herald reports:

Television New Zealand introduced Sensing Murder medium Deb Webber to the family of Aisling Symes just two days after the little girl had gone missing. …

Media at a police press confidence on Wednesday were surprised when a One News journalist Amy Kelley asked:

“This morning One News (and I believe you’re aware of this as well) did some filming with Deb Webber,” Kelley said.

“She’s a medium on the television show Sensing Murder and she gave us some information on what she believed happened to the little girl. How seriously are police likely to take that information,” said the One News reporter. …

Brotherston said Webber had said after her appearance that she had some information for the family.

TVNZ had approached a friend of Aisling’s family and subsequently Webber had met up them.

Asked what the public news organisation was doing introducing a TV medium to the family two days after they had lost a child, Brotherston said:

“You know what they are doing? They are being human. They have a family out there that are desperate to find their child.

“We are just being human by ringing a family friend and asking if they want the medium’s contact details. After the family friend said they would be interested in talking to her all we did was facilitate the exchange of contact details.”

No you are not being human. This is disgusting behaviour. If you were offering a counsellor that would be being human.

The last fucking thing the family needs is a medium being offered to them by TVNZ two days after their 2 year old has gone missing. It is ghoulish.

Even putting aside that the mediums are all fakes who prey on vulnerable families, the fact they appear on a TVNZ show is beyond tacky, as it suggests commercial motives in offering them.

And then to have a One News reporter ask about it at a Police news conference. Every aspect of this affair is appalling.