Sister of stab death victim blames Mail Online for adding to family's pain

The sister of a murdered boy has called for an apology after a picture in a news article led some readers to assume she was one of his killers.

Last month a boy, 16, and 19-year-old Jaheim Williams were sentenced for killing 17-year-old Ezekiel Clarke.

A Mail Online Facebook post of the story showed a picture of Ezekiel and his sister next to one of his killers.

Ezekiel's family says the juxtaposition of the picture and headline led to online abuse.

On Facebook, a picture of the 17-year-old, from Nottingham, and his sister Shimea Anderson was published next to one of Williams.

The other killer, who was 16, cannot be named or pictured for legal reasons.

As a result, some readers thought Ezekiel and his sister were the killers and Williams - who was convicted of manslaughter - was the victim.

Ezekiel Clarke was stabbed twice and died soon after

Ms Anderson, whose family are trying to publicise an anti-knife crime initiative, said "it adds to the heartbreak we're already going through".

Mail Online has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment, but the picture and the headline in the article have been updated.

'Racial stereotyping'

Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham, Ms Anderson said: "The backlash from that is that me and my brother's [photo] has been shared on social media, we've [had comments like] we've killed a white boy, we're racist.

"From something that was supposed to be a positive message has been turned into something that's really hurtful during a really hurtful period in our lives."

Ms Anderson's friend Tyra Withall has launched an online petition asking for the newspaper to be held "accountable for racial stereotyping".

The petition said the composite picture, coupled with the headline, created "a subtle but blatant suggestion to the reader that they are in fact the perpetrators".

Ms Anderson said: "It adds to the heartbreak we're already going through, and I feel they need to retract the article and apologise publicly.

"I'm not the first person and I'll certainly not be the last."

Jaheim Williams, 19, was found guilty of manslaughter

The 16-year-old and Williams were found guilty by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court.

The trial heard the boy and Williams came across Ezekiel in Churchfield Lane, Radford, where the boy stabbed Ezekiel twice.

Judge Timothy Spencer said the attack was to "avenge some score arising out of a petty squabble between two gangs" and he suspected "no-one can remember" the origins of the dispute.