Publication of young rape victim's photo condemned
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Photos of a teenage German rape victim and her family published in two leading newspapers showed a failure of the Thai Journalist Association's (TJA) campaign to promote media ethics, top members of the TJA and the Press Council of Thailand said yesterday.
The two daily newspapers, Khao Sod and Thai Rath, yesterday published photos of a 13-year-old German girl who was raped by a burglar.
A gang of four broke into the girl's house in Pathum Thani province, attacking her mother and a maid while one man raped the girl.
The two newspapers also posted the victim's photo on their websites, while Kom Chad Luek newspaper carried the controversial photos online.
"Photographers don't have the right to point their cameras at victims and relatives in this kind of case. I'm not going to say if it's right or wrong to publish those pictures, even with the faces blacked out," said Tulsathit Taptim, chairman of the TJA's Rights and Freedom Committee.
Boonrat Apichat-trisorn, of the TJA, said the association had launched a campaign in 2004 to promote media ethics and sensitivity when reporting on cases of sexual assault but this case showed some journalists were still failing to grasp their responsibilities.
"As I senior female reporter who has worked in the media for a long time, I demand the press show more understanding of the issue," she said.
Dej-Udom Krairit, chairman of the Press Council's complaints sub-committee, said he would raise the case at the body's next meeting.
However, the council could only send an official letter to warn members who violate an ethic or rule but there is no punishment available, he said.
"All editors knew about the ethics rules they helped draft. We were trying to convince the public that the press can be an honourable institution but it cannot help if editors do not respect the media ethics code they helped draw upt. The media could face ruin," Dej-Udom said.
TJA president Pattara Khampitak said the newspapers that published the victim's photo violated the journalistic ethics that all association members jointly endorsed.
However, the Press Council had carried the responsibility for investigating violations of press ethics since its formation in 1997, Pattara said.
Despite the media's willingness to examine itself, he said customers also played an important role in monitoring and criticising the press that helped to maintain journalistic standards.
Correspondents used the newspapers' websites to express concern over the issue, asking if the editors would carry the photos if their daughters were the victim.
Some readers demanded the papers apologise to the family.
Subhatra Bhumiprabhas
The Nation
