DPP SLAMS FIJI TIMES HEADLINE

SUVA (Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's Director of Public Prosecutions Office has branded a headline in the Fiji Times on an incest case as "another example of irresponsible, sensationalistic journalism", reports the Fiji Sun.

According to the Sun in a report on 16 March 2002, citing a DPP statement, the headline "Incest case thrown out" was published on March 14. The Times reported in the story opening paragraph:

"The DDP Office withdrew an incest case after strong representation from the Legal Aid Commission to discontinue proceedings."

The DPP Office in its statement was referring to an incest case in which the stepfather of a 21-year-old victim was charged with incest by a male on 12 October 2000.

However, his stepdaughter was later charged with the female offence of incest on October 10 last year.

The DDP Office stated it had powers under the constitution to terminate criminal proceedings.

It said the decision to withdraw a charge against an accused person was not taken lightly, the Sun reports.

"The decision is made after a careful analysis of the evidence in each case and its merits," the DPP statement said.

The DDP Office added that it had made a decision to reevaluate the evidence after receiving representations from the legal Aid Commission.

It added that the Fiji Times headline and report was in "blatant disregard" of the facts as it implied that the case was terminated without the state's consent.

Fiji news media have reported a spate of incest cases appearing before the courts in recent weeks, generating intense public debate about the social problem.

The Fiji Media Council Code of Ethics 2002 states: "Reports of cases alleging sexual offences against a child may identify an adult concerned, providing they are not related, but must not identify the child, and must not include facts which imply a close relationship between an accused adult and a child victim. Where either party is identifiable, the word "incest" should not be used."

Some media routinely disregard this code provision.

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