A district level media workshop on prevention of child sexual abuse was held on Sunday which was jointly organised by the NACG EVAC World Vision India and PECUC in coordination with the Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) Baleswar unit.The speakers said that sexual abuses against children were on the rise during the lockdown period across India and stressed on the role of media in containing the crime. ADM Samit Kumar Nayak, special public prosecutor ,POCSO Court Pranab Kumar Panda, district information and public relations officer Dipak Sahoo and OUJ Baleswar president Gangadhar Rout were among the speakers who spoke in the meeting after the programme coordinator Ubachak Mohanty briefed about the objectives of the workshop for media personnel. It was observed that the girl children were exposed to sexual abuses mainly from her acquaintances.
The speakers said that the media should be extra careful while reporting regarding sexual assaults or abuses of minors. They are not to disclose the identity or address of the victims without their consent. They also mentioned penal provisions in case of violation of guidelines prescribed by different courts from time to time. In the beginning of the programme an oath taking ceremony was held.