බාලවයස් අපයෝජනයක් “අඹුසැමියන් ලෙස හැසිරීමක්” ලෙස වාර්තා කිරීම නිවැරදිද?

Abstract

On July 05, 2024, the Dinamina newspaper reported a case of sexual assault involving a 15-year-old boy and an adult woman. The newspaper used a trivialised headline and included derogatory terms such as “Pasal pemwatha” (පාසල් පෙම්වතා) and “Ambu samiyan lesa hasirunu” (අඹුසැමියන් ලෙස හැසිරුණු) to describe the incident in the content too. Even if such abuse appears consensual, the victim is a minor, and the failure to clearly state that this is a punishable offense may lead society to perceive such acts as less serious. Therefore, the media is advised to avoid derogatory or trivialising language and adhere to ethical reporting standards.