“Love made him kill” (Daily Sun, 15/02/2011, p.12) was unfortunately a lesson on how NOT to report on a child who has witnessed a crime. Daily Sun named a child witness to a violent crime, violating the Criminal Procedure Act, and risked further endangering this child. This article clearly deserves a MAD.

“Love made him kill” described a crime spree in which a man allegedly stabbed a number of people and killed one person. A 14-year-old boy, who was allegedly kidnapped by the accused and was also a witness to these alleged attacks, was named in the article. It reported that the accused has been arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and kidnapping.

Section 154(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act states: “No person shall publish in any manner whatever information which reveals or may reveal the identity… of a witness at criminal proceedings who is under the age of 18 years.”

The legislation exists in order to protect vulnerable child witnesses, who have not only endured a traumatic experience, but may be the subject of threats, intimidation or even punishment. Identifying child witnesses in the media may leave them vulnerable to those who would like to prevent them from giving evidence in a criminal trial, or to punish them for testifying.

Even in the absence of threats or violence, giving evidence at a criminal trial is often a stressful and intimidating experience for a child, which is why legislation has been put in place to protect them.

There are a few golden rules in reporting on children. Not identifying a child witness to a crime is one of them. Naming a child in these circumstances is not their best interests. It is of serious concern that Daily Sun so blatantly ignored and violated the legal and human rights of this child.