The BBC has defended its use of female pronouns to describe a male transgender killer who stabbed his partner to death with a samurai sword. The Telegraph has more.

Joanna Rowland-Stuart, who was born male and was known as John Stuart, attacked Andrew Rowland-Stuart at their Brighton home in 2024, in what a jury found was an unlawful killing.

The couple had married in a civil partnership but reporting on the court hearing earlier this year, BBC News headlined one story ‘Wife killed husband with samurai sword’ and began: “A woman killed her husband…”.

The BBC used the pronouns “she” and “her” throughout its coverage.

A number of people contacted the BBC to complain. One wrote: “Using female pronouns to refer to a man is not accurate.”

Another said: “The suspect is a man. When the public see the words ‘wife’ and ‘woman’ they will assume you mean an adult human female.”

However, the BBC rejected the complaints.

In a written response, the broadcaster’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) said: “The BBC recognises the debate around sex and gender identity involves deeply held and sometimes conflicting views. The BBC’s approach, therefore, is to use terminology which is clear and appropriate to the context.”

The ECU said the language had been appropriate because Rowland-Stuart was referred to as a woman throughout the trial.

Worth reading in full.