If Child Doesn’t Get Harmed…

Doğan News Agency (DHA): Nilüfer Demir

Yesterday, a photo of a drowned child who washed up on shore in Bodrum district of Aegean region of Turkey came to the fore. The child and other Syrian refugees were going to Kos Island of Greece from Turkey in a boat but the boat sank from overcapacity.

Publishing that child’s photo in a newspaper was debated both in Turkey and international media.

Some media members published the photo, some didn’t and some of them blurred the face of child while publishing the news.

Some newspapers explained why they published the photo.

bianet asked Professor Serdar Değirmencioğlu from Doğuş University Psychology Department and lawyer Seda Akço from İstabul Bar Association Children Rights Center.

Değirmencioğlu: You need to face the doom

Prof. Serdar Değirmencioğlu:

“Child’s face shouldn’t be seen. It is out of question for the child to be recognized or get harmed since he doesn’t live anymore.

“There is a tragedy and you need to face the doom. This photo gives us a message to wake up.”

Akço: Why it is disturbing is important

Lawyer Seda Akço:

“Is this photo disturbing? Yes, but why are the people disturbed? Does this photo harm the child? Are they disturbed to see such a photo of a drowned child?

 “There isn’t a rule saying ‘I’m very irritated to see a drowned child, these kinds of photos shouldn’t be published,’ and there shouldn’t be.

“If we don’t understand the severity of the situation when the news hasn’t got the photo, it becomes necessary to publish the news with a photo, even it belongs to a drowned child.

“To request these kinds of photos not to be published isn’t true, I guess.

Peter Bouckaert: What I find offensive is that drowned children are washing up on our shorelines..

Peter Bouckaert from Human Rights Watch (HRW):

“Some say the picture is too offensive to share online or print in our newspapers. But what I find offensive is that drowned children are washing up on our shorelines when more could have been done to prevent their deaths.

“It was not an easy decision to share a brutal image of a drowned child. But I care about these children as much as my own. Maybe if Europe’s leaders did too, they would try to stem this ghastly spectacle.” (YY/BD)

Click here to read the article in Turkish