Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya made the right decision to remove the video of a child beaten by her father.
After all, the right to privacy and suppressing the identity of a child is engraved in the 2013 Constitution and international laws and treaties such as the Convention on the Rights of Child.
Two articles in the convention that stand out for this case are:
■ Article 2: Best interest of the child
■ Article 16: Protection of privacy
Article 2 (Part 2) says:
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or family members.
Article 16 says:
1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.
2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
The above are clear and concise.
There are no two ways about it.
But Ms Tabuya said it was important for her to call out those responsible for their actions.
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However, the Online Safety Commission pleaded to the public to ‘cease sharing the disturbing video of a child being subjected to violence on social media platforms!’
Even after releasing the statement, Ms Tabuya was defiant.
As outlined in a related editorial this week, posting the video on social media does not solve the problem but rather exacerbates it.
Knowledge is power and many viewers would have been impacted by it one way or another.
Surely, the likes of Ms Tabuya, who is also a lawyer, knows there are many ways to skin the cat.
Firstly, the ministry should have released a statement to condemn the incident and outline its Standard Operating Procedures in cases as such.
The first many knew about the incident was through Ms Tabuya’s Facebook page.
Secondly, perhaps organising a peaceful march for citizens to rally against this incident and others that have gone unnoticed.
Thirdly, using the media and its network to get the message across to as many platforms as possible.
Using different ways of storytelling, organising debates, seeking legal and expert advice on the matter including medical and psychological views.
Driving an opinion poll, involving communities from the family, the church, the village, settlements and suburbs etc.
All these and more can develop or devise solutions for our children’s future.
After all, it must be about the children as one Facebook post rightly outlined: “Child safeguarding above publicity stunts pls (please!).
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