Help and Shelter says there needs to be standards for the media in responsible reporting with regard to sexual abuse cases.
The agency pointed to a Stabroek News editorial which dealt with a 13-year-old mother whose baby had been allegedly abducted. Help and Shelter said the editorial "castigated agencies for not raising their voices or taking any action" but that in the same issue of the newspaper there had been a small article which said that the Ministry of Human Services was in the process of taking action on the case.
In a press release issued on Monday, the agency lamented to the lack of prominence given to the article about the Human Services Ministry. What the article did in fact say was that the ministry "plans to provide counselling…" Up to the time the article was written, after a comment had been sought from the ministry, no action had been taken.
Help and Shelter noted that all agencies which work in the social sector deal with challenging, sensitive and difficult cases. The release said that while it supported the exposure of all cases of abuse, it should be remembered that within this exposure there is the life of a human being.
"How many of us would want our picture or the picture of our sister, friend, niece in the media in this way? If she is indeed a victim of abuse then the law states clearly that the identity of the victim must not be disclosed. Here we have not only the identity but also the picture of the possible victim in full public view," the release said.
Stabroek News Editor Anand Persaud said in response that when the photograph of the girl was published it had not been known at that time what her age was and that she was a possible victim.
The photograph showed the mother and her child after they were reunited. Persaud said the newspaper scrupulously observes the rules in relation to reporting on victims of sexual abuse and Help and Shelter would be hard-pressed to find cases where this had been violated.
Help and Shelter noted that it has voiced criticism before about the media's coverage of sexual abuse cases some of which its court-support counsellors are/have been involved in.
According to the release, experience and research have shown that media exposure is a major deterrent for survivors/victims reporting or following through with criminal sexual matters.