Through the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), the EU supports a European network of fact-checkers, including TheJournal in Ireland. For a monthly roundup of European fact-checks, visit the main EDMO website. Here, we highlight recent fact-checks by TheJournal FactCheck team.
Debunked: Story of a Cork woman being knocked out after smelling perfume is an urban legend
Published: 26 August – by Shane Raymond
A viral story about a Cork woman being knocked out by perfume and robbed is an urban legend. It contains Americanisms, references nonexistent local places, and gardaí found no matching incident. Similar versions have circulated online since the early 2000s.
Debunked: The UK has not agreed to accommodate ‘4,000 Moroccans’ who illegally entered Ceuta
Published: 27 August – by Shane Raymond
The claim that the UK agreed to accommodate 4,000 Moroccan migrants from Ceuta is false. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has made no such announcement and said it’s “a matter for the Spanish government.” The additional claim that migrants murdered Spaniards in Ceuta is also baseless, with no reported murders.
Debunked: Viral posts misstate the date, cause and even the country of the Enoch Burke saga
Published: 28 August – by Shane Raymond
Numerous online posts have misrepresented Enoch Burke’s release, which was ordered by an Irish court in July, not a UK court in August. His imprisonment was not related to his religious beliefs or pronoun usage, but resulted from multiple findings of contempt for trespassing at a school in violation of court injunctions.