Talk:Death of Caroline Mwatha

Restructure as "Death of Caroline Mwata"?
In life, she didn't document enough cases of police brutality to nab a Wikipedia article. In death, her Wikipedia article is primarily used to document a case of unsafe abortion. This is rather tasteless, exploiting a deeply personal tragedy to push an agenda that was irrelevant to her actual life's work. It would be less disgusting if framed as a case study on her death itself and the subsequent events she herself played no part at all in. Most biographies are about things people do. InedibleHulk (talk) 16:04, 20 April 2019 (UTC)

If there's no objection in say, a week, I'll go ahead with this. If it's agreed sooner, feel free to beat me to it. InedibleHulk (talk) 16:04, 20 April 2019 (UTC)

If you do, just make sure that you spell it correctly! Editrite! (talk) 22:40, 23 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Sometimes, unfortunately, it's a person's death that make them notable. As the plethora of sources that I've cited has shown her death has had an impact on Kenyan society and made quite a stir. --1Veertje (talk) 09:46, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry, I misunderstood you, I thought you were proposing a deletion. I wouldn't have an objection to renaming the article. Yes that might actually be better. --1Veertje (talk) 09:51, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
 * I've had a go at it (spelled correctly and everything). Had to tweak the lead a bit, too, to suit an event article. I've left the picture for now, but not sure it's an appropriate illustration anymore, given how happy she seems to be alive in it. Perhaps a more somber image could be found, but perhaps not. Open to suggestions. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:06, 25 April 2019 (UTC)
 * photos with a free license are a rare resource. I corresponded with her widower through WhatsApp to secure this one (his number publicized when she was missing). He also confirmed that her year of birth was 1981. I'd also have preferred to get a less edited photograph but you can't look a gift horse in the mouth. 1Veertje (talk) 09:53, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

I'm a little uncomfortable with the statement, "abortion is illegal in Kenya". As I understand it, while that's true in MOST circumstances, if the expectant mother's life is in danger, then it is allowed. Perhaps a better way of putting it, is to say something like. . . unregistered abortion clinics (like this) are illegal in Kenya. Editrite! (talk) 22:25, 26 April 2019 (UTC)
 * yeah, it's hard to put into words, the 2010 constitutional amendment doesn't help: it could have been written in clearer language IMO. It isn't illegal when the life of the mother is in danger in the opinion of a medical professionals, unless some other law (that currently doesn't exist) makes it legal. Practicing medicine without a license is what makes what happened doubly illegal.--1Veertje (talk) 10:07, 29 April 2019 (UTC)

Apostrophe
In this report her full name has the apostrophe at the end and in this report her husband has the apostrophe in the surname Ochieng'. The most likely explanation for it not being in all reports is that it's sometimes overlooked. It's not an error as a result of bolding her name. 1Veertje (talk) 08:53, 29 April 2019 (UTC)


 * An apostrophe (see the link above) cannot be used in this way. It HAS to be followed by one or more letters, as you will see. For example, it could be something like O'Connor or O'Chieng. The best way to check is to ask her husband, if you have contacted him previously, as media reports are notoriously unreliable. Editrite! 203.196.41.161 (talk) 11:12, 29 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Being prescriptive about how people should write their name quickly leads to trouble. The Irish use an apostrophe the way you describe, but this is a different part of the world. I have come across names in the past that had an apostrophe somewhere in the middle. The reports I linked to consistently use it at the end. If I were to contact her widower again it would be original research on my part. --1Veertje (talk) 12:04, 29 April 2019 (UTC)

In the first place, what's wrong with original research. . . it beats second hand news every time. In the second place, the examples I gave were purely examples and nothing more. The fact that they were or could be Irish is irrelevant. I could give you another example like John L'Heureux which is originally French. In the third place, your two sources are both Kenyan news media. The media these days don't bother with proofreaders which is a dangerous practice, as journalists often make mistakes. One of your two sources, for example confuses "coma" and "comma" which are totally different things. I have seen other websites in the top ten search results copy info from a Wikipedia article on the assumption that it's correct, even though it's not. As a former proofreader I know what I'm talking about, as you have acknowledged with some of the corrections you have witnessed. The bottom line is that an apostrophe cannot be at the end of a word, except in one case which doesn't apply here. I'm only trying to help. It's up to you. By the way, one of your sources has probably copied the other's mistake without knowing any better, in my experience. Editrite! (talk) 02:43, 30 April 2019 (UTC)
 * original research is not verifiable, which makes it impractical for Wikipedia. If I were to ask and pass that info on, you'd have just somebody on the internet saying they checked something. There's a David Ochieng' running for office atm, so I really don't think it's a typo. Having a Kenyan news source is more authoritative when it comes to how Kenyans write their name, not less so. 1Veertje (talk) 11:54, 30 April 2019 (UTC)

Are you serious? The link you give for another person with the same surname starts, "Who is David Ochieng?" (NO APOSTROPHE!). It does use an apostrophe in the text, but where's the consistency. The article is full of other errors, and you call that authoritative. I think not. If you check the top ten Google search results for the name Ochieng, NONE of them use an apostrophe. Wikipedia should be about accuracy and nothing else. Otherwise, why bother? All my previous comments still stand. If you choose not to take any notice, that's your problem. English is my first language, not my second. Editrite! (talk) 22:48, 30 April 2019 (UTC)