Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Saroja Savitri Paulraj has criticized certain media outlets for their unethical coverage of the sexual assault case involving a female doctor at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday (March 14), she stated that certain channels had failed to maintain even the minimum standards of journalism ethics by repeatedly broadcasting a dubbed audio of the victim’s testimony – an act she described as re-traumatizing and damaging to the survivor’s courage and confidence.
Minister Paulraj further emphasized that everyone in Parliament is opposed to violence and the “ugliness” of crime reporting.
She also raised concern over the release of evidence submitted to law enforcement and judicial authorities, noting that despite clear guidelines, the media had failed to protect the identities of those involved.
