Maribyrnong Council apologises for vile ‘rape girls’ word search message

Horrified Maribyrnong residents have opened the latest edition of their council magazine to find a vile message hidden inside that incites sexual violence against women. And you won’t believe the council’s excuse.

Maribyrnong Council’s accidental “rape girls” message in the spring 2020 edition of the Maribyrnong Messenger.

A Melbourne council has issued a grovelling apology after a vile message inciting sexual violence against women was published in the latest edition of its magazine.

Horrified Maribyrnong residents were blindsided on Friday when they opened the spring edition of the Maribyrnong Messenger, delivered to letter boxes this week, to find the words “rape girls” clearly spelled out in the word search.

Sickened locals took to social media on Friday night to warn neighbours to throw their copy of the publication in the bin.

Council chief executive Stephan Wall issued a statement on the council’s website on Thursday in which he blamed a computer error for the disgraceful message.

“The unacceptable combination of letters in the word search was computer generated. We will not be using the software again and we are filing an official complaint,” Mr Wall said.

“Please be assured we are taking this extremely seriously.”

Messages shared on a Maribyrnong community Facebook group described the stuff up as “sickening”, while one woman wrote she found the depraved message triggering.

Facebook users were furious the violent message made it into the word search.

Some people doubted the message was caused by a software glitch.

“If you’ve received this council newsletter spring edition, throw it away, it’s obviously an oversight, I hope, but it’s very triggering and upsetting, it’s given me a panic attack today. Really unacceptable to be honest,” the woman wrote.

Others questioned how such a mistake was possible and called for an investigation.

“That’s sick. It’s too specific to be bad editing,” one woman wrote.

A man wrote; “It’s an absolute disgrace and there should be a major investigation and contracts cancelled and people fired.”

“I think with that combination of words it would be almost impossible for software to come up with that. There’s a person behind this,” another man wrote.

Maribyrnong’s Stephan Cox told the Leader the council’s mistake, if it was indeed a mistake and not caused by a hacker or a disgruntled employee, “shouldn’t be allowed to be swept under the carpet”.

“Imagine if a victim of rape or sexual abuse read the word search,” Mr Cox said.

“Two words like that don’t accidentally line up together … basically residents are very disappointed that council are just saying it’s a computer error. Disappointed in a genuine lack of concern.”

Maribyrnong Council has rectified the word search in its digital version of the Messenger.

If you or someone you know is in need help, call Lifeline on 131 114, visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp, or call beyondblue on 1300 224 636

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