Letter to leaders of Aotearoa New Zealand's media platforms about the Marokopa case

The following letter was sent by Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad to the leadership teams of Aotearoa New Zealand's media companies, regarding the current high-profile Marokopa case that is being covered this week.

For transparency, we are also publishing this letter publicly.

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Earlier this week, I advocated to New Zealand and international media, and the public-at-large, to respect the children in the Marokopa case by giving them privacy.

The children need privacy and they have a right to this. Ongoing media attention does not serve the children’s wellbeing, safety and interests. Respecting the children’s privacy and space is crucial now, and will continue to be crucial in the coming weeks, months and years.

While I understand the public interest in the case, at its heart are three children. They must have their privacy respected. I request that all media outlets in New Zealand (and internationally), respect this, by:

• Avoiding continuing to publish/use images of the children; and
• Prioritising the rights, safety and best interests of the children in any content and editorial decisions relating to reporting of this case.

Please exercise leadership by taking these decisions now on behalf of your media outlet, and communicating them publicly.

I note and appreciate that 1News last night stated at the top of its 6pm bulletin that:

“1News will no longer show images of the Marokopa children. Their photos were released publicly years ago when they went missing, now they’ve been found, we’ve chosen to respect the children’s privacy, and their delicate and complicated situation.”

From a children’s rights perspective, in my view this is the right decision for TVNZ to have made, and I am grateful for the response to my direct advocacy in this regard earlier in the week.

I now repeat my request to all media outlets to follow this example, to keep the rights of the children central in your work relating to this case. This is a tangible way that you can show your respect for the privacy of the children, and set a strong precedent.

Nāku noa, nā
Dr Claire Achmad
Children’s Commissioner