'Why didn't you take a taxi?': What Eamonn Holmes asked girl who was raped as she walked home from a night out

-ITV confirm his comments have sparked viewer outrage
-Woman waived her right to anonymity for live TV interview
-Star criticised for 'flippant, dismissive' remark

By Daily Mail Reporter


Controversial: Presenter Eamonn Holmes has been accused of 'victim blaming' following his remarks to rape victim Hannah Cant on live TV

TV presenter Eamonn Holmes has been criticised for telling a rape victim: 'I hope you take taxis now.'

Viewers of ITV's This Morning have reacted with outrage, claiming that Holmes appeared to blame the victim for making herself vulnerable.

He made the controversial remarks during an interview with Hannah Cant, 20, who was raped by a stranger when she was 18.


She had been walking home from a night out in Chippenham, Wiltshire, when she was dragged into a car and subjected to a sex attack by soldier Jonathan Haynes.

She had the presence of mind to tear out strands of her own hair and spit in the car to leave her DNA at the scene after seeing a similar tactic used on TV show CSI.

She took the brave step of waiving her right to anonymity to appear on This Morning to speak about her ordeal a month after Haynes was jailed for at least 11 years.

Holmes, 51, introduced the interview, saying: 'She was on her way home from a night out with her friends and walking home - didn't take a taxi.

'It's that old thing, I always say. Why were you tempted to walk home?'

Brave: Hannah Cant appeared on This Morning to talk about being raped aged 18

Miss Cant explained she had been with a friend and had walked the last two streets alone to her home as she had done many times before.

She said: 'I thought it would be OK.'

Holmes said: 'But it wasn't.'

Miss Cant went on to speak of how she feared she would die during the ordeal, and then feared for her life after her attacker warned her not to go to the police.

At the end of the interview, after thanking her for appearing, Holmes said: 'I hope you take taxis now. Everywhere you go, coming home at night.'

He then turned and asked his wife and co-presenter Ruth Langsford: 'How many times do I tell people who I know to take taxis?'

Hundreds of outraged viewers took to social media websites to protest, accusing the presenter of 'victim blaming'.

Interview: Mr Holmes told Miss Cant she should have taken a taxi home before turning to wife Ruth Langsford, right, and asking 'How many times do I tell people to take taxis?'

Philippa Willitts wrote on the blog of the women's rights site F-Word: 'The moral of the whole story was that, frankly, none of this would have happened if she hadn't dared to be outside, near her house, when a kidnapper and rapist was around.

'The victim-blaming attitude encompassed in that one sentence is as astounding as it is offensive.

'The truth is that women cannot win with attitudes like Eamonn Holmes's around. If we don't blame the perpetrator, things will never, ever change.'

Others took to Twitter, expressing their views using the tags #victimblaming and #patronisingfatherfigure.

@absinthetweets wrote: 'Hard to believe that Eamonn Holmes comment. Just hand-to-mouth-shocked-face awful.'

Another commentator wrote online: 'I can't believe that they would ruin a brave woman's (most likely) harrowing interview by making such a flippant, dismissive and stupid comment.'

Holmes apologised on air earlier this month after This Morning viewers complained at him branding celebrity guest Jonathan Wilkes 'retarded'.

A spokesman for ITV confirmed they had received 26 complaints from viewers about Eamonn Holmes' comments since they were broadcast on Tuesday morning.

But she said: 'Eamonn was in no way suggesting that the victim was in any way to blame for this horrific attack.

'His interview was carried out with the utmost care and compassion and his comments were intended to highlight safety advice.

'Hannah was happy with the interview and not in any way offended by Eammon's advice.'


source:dailymail