Survivors’ needs should be at the very heart of the rape photos debate
People’s lives and traumas should never be part of a political game.
|17.05.2019
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The survivors of such atrocities and the families of victims should be right at the heart of any discussion of what they suffered.
The fact that thousands of women and men were raped during and after the war in Kosovo is by now well documented fact.
Rather than ad hoc politicized statements when it is politically convenient, wartime rape survivors need practical provisions such as access to quality and specialized health care.
The pace at which so many media unquestioningly published graphic — and unverified — images, shows that a vital consideration of ethical standards was missing from editorial decision making.
This is not leadership but populist and ungrounded politics that callously plays on people’s traumas for the sake of political advantage.
Jack Butcher
Jack Butcher is K2.0’s former deputy chief editor. He is currently working as a freelance journalist and editor, covering mainly social issues. He has written for a number of international publications, including The Guardian and The Observer newspapers in the UK and Hinterlands magazine in Germany.
DISCLAIMERThe views of the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of Kosovo 2.0.
This story was originally written in English.