The Albanian Media Council has expressed its concern over the way in which the rape of a 15-year-old minor was reported by certain media.
The independent organisation said that in such delicate cases, the media should be careful in reporting the event, especially when the victim is a minor. The media, they said, plays a crucial role in protecting their privacy, and revealing their personal details can negatively impact their future.
Following the news of the rape, several media published the girls name. They also conducted interviews with family members and people from her neighborhood in Tirana. Some of these interviews were conducted by and around her house.
The AMC states that the media should not ever publish the name of the school the child attends or the name of the area where they reside. This results in them being easily identifiable and is a violation of their privacy. The publication of the name of the school also increases negative attention on other children who attend it.
They added that the media should never identify the parents of the child either in written, verbal, or visual format. This violates anonymity and their right to privacy, even if the parent or family member consents to be interviewed.
“The media must protect the best interests of the abused child and cover these interviews/statements by concealing their identity,” the AMC said in a statement.
In such cases, the attention of journalists and the public should be directed to the incident, and not towards details such as personal information.
