We can, of course, use a different term for the news—just say its a search, if the escapee is female. But to use the term ‘manhunt’ does not really determine the sex of the escapee. ‘Manhunt’ means the procedure itself.
@smudges A ‘hearing’ is to hear what the defendant has to say—and for a judge or jury to ask questions—as part of a proceeding to determine whether there is reason to continue,
It is unlikely that the judge or jury would be deaf. They’d most likely do something else.