The BBC has issued a statement of regret after facing criticism for their trailer of their upcoming documentary,The Trials of Oscar Pistorius.
The channel received backlash on social media after the trailer failed to mention Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, by name. Steenkamp was killed by Pistorius in 2013 in their home in South Africa.
A statement issued by the BBC Press Office said: "We regret that the original trail did not refer to Reeva Steenkamp directly.
"We are aware of the upset it has caused, which was never the intention. We have removed the trailer and it will be replaced with something more representative of the series, which examines in detail a number of complex issues connected to her murder."
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Women's charity Refuge had previously called the trailer "extremely disappointing."
Lisa King, director of communications and external relations at Refuge, told Tyla: "Reporting on domestic homicide is an issue which media outlets need to take extremely seriously, and follow carefully drafted guidelines.
"It is incredibly disappointing to read reports that the memory of Reeva Steenkamp appears to have been glossed over, and the trial of her killer centred in this way.
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"Two women every week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner, and their names and their lives must never be forgotten. Neither must Reeva Steenkamps."
The BBC has previously explained the upcoming four-part drama will observe in detail "the life of Oscar Pistorius, the tragic murder of Reeva Steenkamp and the issue of gender-based violence in South Africa."
Pistorius went on trial for Steenkamp's murder in 2014, with Pistorius claiming he thought Steenkamp was an intruder. He was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of culpable homicide and reckless endangerment.
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He was sentenced to five years imprisonment - a sentence which was tripped to 15 years by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: True Crime, BBC
