Amendment to secure better protection of crime victims’ privacy

The lower house has passed an amendment to the criminal code which in the future should more firmly protect crime victims’ personal privacy, banning the publication of details in the case of minors, as well as adults who hadn’t issued prior consent. Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil said the law would allow for information to be published only if it was in a victim’s or the public’s interest, for example, in abduction cases or for identification purposes. The ban on publishing personal data will also include photographic or video images. Any breach could lead to a five million crown fine, and in some cases, up to five years in prison. Under the law, which now goes to the Senate, the media would no longer be able to publish images of children in divorce cases, or any images of minors in cases of child abuse. The government committee for children’s rights recommended that existing legislation be toughened after a case of severe child maltreatment in the town of Kuřim came under close media scrutiny for months, both this and last year.