A columnist for the Daily Mail published a bizarre piece that compared victims of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The verdict came after a long and arduous case that featured disturbing accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls, with the youngest victim being just 14.
During her testimony, one 14-year-old, referred to as ‘Jane’ to protect her identity said she was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell and testified that Epstein took her to meet Donald Trump at his Florida club.
In the Daily Mail’s piece, columnist Jan Moir randomly called out Thunberg to argued that minors can not be “enlightened and misguided at the same time.”
Moir wrote, “The youngest victim in the Epstein/Maxwell scandal was 14, and most were in their mid to late teens. Which makes me wonder, at what age does someone move from child-victim status into a person who is responsible for their own actions?”
She continued, “When she was 15, Greta Thunberg began the school strikes and public speeches, which made her an internationally recognised climate activist.”
Moir explained that detractors of Thunberg “said the teen had been brainwashed by adults in pursuit of their own causes, while her supporters claimed she was an intelligent campaigner perfectly capable of making her own informed decisions.”
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Shortly after the article went live, people on Twitter expressed their anger with the comparison.
“Congratulations to Jan Moir for sneaking in right at the end to win worst take of the year,” wrote Sam Freedman.
Congratulations to Jan Moir for sneaking in right at the end to win worst take of the year. pic.twitter.com/vo8uu3nCnf
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) December 31, 2021
In a follow up tweet he added, “It's a screenshot but there's no context in the actual piece than improves the meaning. She is genuinely comparing 14 year olds girls who were trafficked in order to be raped by rich and powerful men to Greta Thunberg (and also Shamima Begum).”
Another person tweeted, “At the last moment Jan Moir makes a spirited play for the title of ‘Worst Human Being of 2021’”
At the last moment Jan Moir makes a spirited play for the title of ‘Worst Human Being of 2021’ with this fetid attempt to legitimise the sexual abuse of young girls. pic.twitter.com/GRlk2U0QGF
— Christine Best (@tinajaneb33) December 31, 2021
“It takes quite some skill to manage to come up with one of the most shameful and unhinged takes of the year on the last day of the year, but Jan Moir managed to do it,” wrote Tanja Bueltmann.
It takes quite some skill to manage to come up with one of the most shameful and unhinged takes of the year on the last day of the year, but Jan Moir managed to do it. #Maxwell pic.twitter.com/nOApom7o3N
— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@TanjaBueltmann) December 31, 2021
“It’s reporting like this (Jan Moir, Daily Mail) that deters sexual abuse survivors from coming forward and allows institutions that are supposed to protect them, to systematically fail them and deny them justice. Especially if the perpetrators are rich and powerful,” said Nadia Whittome.
It’s reporting like this (Jan Moir, Daily Mail) that deters sexual abuse survivors from coming forward and allows institutions that are supposed to protect them, to systematically fail them and deny them justice. Especially if the perpetrators are rich and powerful. pic.twitter.com/uGtA7Gd6Um
— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) December 31, 2021
