Arabic version: استغلال ديفيد سوليفان لفتاة قاصر في تقرير مثير للجدل

The Sunday Sport, owned by David Sullivan, is under scrutiny for its practice of featuring sexualised images of 15-year-old girls. The tabloid launched a feature called ‘Countdown to 16’ in 1987, which used revealing photoshoots of young girls to promote topless images published after their 16th birthdays. According to The Guardian, this practice raised serious ethical concerns about the treatment of minors in media.

One of the most notable cases involved schoolgirl Natalie Banus, who was depicted as ‘the sexiest 15-year-old in Britain.’ The Sunday Sport published semi-naked images of her, claiming compliance with the law by stating she was ‘not quite topless.’ Upon turning 16, Banus’s topless pictures were published in the Daily Star, and the Sunday Sport encouraged readers to engage with her through a premium-rate chat line.

Banus later reflected on her experiences in her memoir, describing the emotional impact of the media’s portrayal of her as she approached her birthday. She noted that the coverage often included sensationalized stories about her personal life, which left her feeling vulnerable and exploited. Despite her condemnation of the newspapers she featured in, she has always stopped short of criticising Sullivan personally, stating he treated her with respect and courtesy.

Sullivan’s career in adult entertainment has come under fresh scrutiny as he announced his resignation from West Ham to address allegations regarding his conduct. While he did not elaborate on the specific claims, he acknowledged that improper conduct allegations were inevitable given his long history in the industry. The Sunday Sport’s controversial practices continued for over 15 years, often celebrating the 16th birthdays of teenage girls with topless photos, which sparked outrage and concern over the ethical implications of such media representations.