THE following is the full text of a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, through its Child Care and Protection Agency, condemning the use of sexually explicit images involving children in a recent article carried by the Guyana Chronicle.
“THE Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security has observed with absolute disgust the publication of images of children involved in sexual acts in the Guyana Chronicle and on social media.

“The Ministry, through its Child Care and Protection Agency, notes that these acts have exposed a tremendous need for more to be done by parents, teachers and our society as a whole to ensure that our children understand and practise moral values that would prevent them from making poor decisions.
“However, some sections of the media sought to exploit this issue in the press and shared images that have gone viral. The recent media report in the October 7, 2014 edition of the Guyana Chronicle, will also serve to unsettle other children. Imagine their sense of diminished pride and the glaring suspicion that everyone around them must be aware of this most sordid affair!
“The racial identities of the children, the school they attend, and the compromising acts being performed are obvious in the images. The lives of these children and their families are certainly in turmoil over this unfortunate situation, and now they have been further humiliated by the publication of these images, both on the Internet and in the print media. The impact of such an action will affect their self esteem, and may have serious consequences upon their lives in the future.
“The Ministry, through the Child Care and Protection Agency, unequivocally condemns such irresponsible behaviour from media operatives who ought to know better. Media personnel have continuously received training on the ethics of journalism, the legal implications, and the importance of safeguarding the identity and integrity of our children.
“The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security and the Child Care and Protection Agency hereby call on the Guyana Chronicle to publicly apologise for the publication of these images.
“The dissemination of these images have negatively impacted upon the efforts and progress made with respect to child protection in Guyana. The upgrading of our laws to cater for electronic and cyber crime is much needed to address such issues.
“Guyana is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which clearly addresses the issue of human rights of our children. Article 17 of the Convention delineates the responsibilities of mass media organisations, including ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of children and adolescents. Similarly, Article 34 speaks of the need to “protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation…”
“Our local laws also clearly state acceptable standards for media publications of sexual content. It is therefore appalling that these have been blatantly ignored by media personnel, particularly the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.

“Every Guyanese, including members of the media, have a duty and a responsibility to protect our children. We must take this responsibility seriously!”