Reaction to the testimony of the child-victim of domestic violence on the show “Nesto Ubavo” (“Something Beautiful”),

broadcasted on TV Sitel on August 28th, 2009.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi, addressed the Broadcasting Standards Council of Macedonia, upon a call from a reporter with Netpress, Julijana Kimovska and her notification on the SOS line for children and youth 0800 12222, about a testimony that the child publicly stated. According to the Rulebook for protection of under-aged audience against programs that can affect their physical, mental and moral development and the Children’s Rights Convention, the Council should undertake appropriate measures upon the public transmission of an interview with a child-victim of violence, on the show “Nesto Ubavo” broadcasted on TV Sitel.

We asked for the video footage from the Broadcasting Standards Council and the expert team at First Children’s Embassy Megjashi concluded that the girl victim of violence gathered the courage not to remain silent about the incident and talk publicly about it on television, because she was in need of psychological and social help and support. She still has a great feeling of guilt and enormous pain, and her need for help and support is particularly dominant.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World is in favor of encouraging the children victims to speak up about the violence, but their testimonies should be taken in specialized facilities (rooms), known as “screening rooms” and not in front of the TV cameras. The interview should be conducted in the presence of an expert team, consisted of a psychologist, social worker, a representative of the court and the police. This is all in favor of avoiding further traumatizing and victimizing of the child. Family violence, like any other type of violence and abuse, represents a traumatic experience for the child-victim, which usually has permanent consequences.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi organized training with and for the reporters on how to report in such cases where the victims of sexual violence are children. The reporters that participated have agreed that when reporting on cases where children are the victims of violence, of pedophilia and sexual abuse in particular, they will pay close attention to the protection of the child, his identity and integrity and will report in its best interest. Even in such cases where it is necessary and the child is willing to give a statement, it has to be permitted by the parents or legal guardians and in the child’s best interest is to protect its identity by mutating its voice and blurring its face.

The First Children’s Embassy encourages children and youth to place their calls on the free SOS line 0800 12222, at the nearest Police station or to the Centers for Social work.

The Broadcasting Standards Council, bearing the statute of a governmental institution should initiate a legislation procedure for enactment of a law that would protect the children and their rights when they are publicly exposed over a medium.

We expect the Broadcasting Standard Council of Macedonia to act accordingly the Rulebook for protection of under-aged audience, from programs that can affect their physical, mental and moral development, as followed:

            b. The planning of broadcast terms for programs that treat sexual abuse of minors in their scenario, has to be based on the fact that juvenile, emotionally vulnerable and psychologically less stable viewers can be disturbed as a consequence of the expected identification with the displayed victim of violence.

            c. The display or description of scenes or sights of rape and consequences of rape can have particularly damaging consequences on the under-aged, emotionally vulnerable and psychologically less stable audience. A very systematic and careful categorization of the programs that contain descriptions, scenes and/or sights with forms of legally prohibited sexual behavior.

1.      The unpredictability of possible individual and collective consequences cause by media treatment of such subjects, appeals to the level of ethical awareness and responsibility of the program editor.

2.      The professional responsibility of the reporter/journalist implies that victims of violence have to be treated with maximum respect and due to protection of the human dignity; their bodies should not be displayed in close-up video shots and frames, except in such cases where it is inevitable because of the completeness of the informational material.

Regretfully, quite often (even when intentions are for the best) the integrity of the child can be damaged, thus making the child additionally stigmatized and victimized.

In that function, we remind of the obligations agreed on by the Republic of Macedonia, as enacted by The Convention of Child rights:

Thereby, in Article 16 from the above noted convention, it is emphasized that:

1.      No child should be exposed to frivolous and unlawful interferences in its privacy, family, home or form of communication, nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation.

2.      The child has the right to legal protection against such interference or attacks.

-The basic instructions and principles of the International Journalist Association for coverage and reporting on children-involved matters are as followed:

1. To carefully add into account the consequences of publishing any type of material related to children and thus prevent damages to them.

2. To be careful not to use visual or other type of identification of the children, unless it is a matter of public interest.

3. To ensure independent verification of the information provided by the children and to take special care that such verification would not endanger the children informants.

4. To use honest, transparent and unambiguous methods for obtaining pictures and where possible, to do so with the consent of the children or adult persons, guardians or the person taking care of them.

5. The mediums should not consider the children for just “an event” nor should they report on the children’s position in such manner, but keep continuous updates and reports on the process that can or already has led to such events.

It is in the children’s best interest to for the media to be considerate and careful to such details that can have a negative effect on the very children we are trying to protect.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World, Megjashi has until now reacted repeatedly in such cases and situations, does so still by undertaking activities for protection of the children and their rights. We expect more concrete and specific measure from The Broadcasting Standards Council. In addition, the Ombudsman will be notified for this event.