Chief state prosecutor Mladen Bajic has sent the instruction to the Croatian Journalists Association, among others.
The UN committee has recommended that Croatian authorities take the necessary measures so that the media fully respect a child's right to privacy. Croatia is requested to submit in its next report detailed and concrete data on the respect of children's rights stemming from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, notably the protection of privacy in families, social institutions, schools and places of detention.
Bajic's instruction recalls that the privacy of children and minors is protected by laws on criminal procedure and on youth courts, and that the Media Act stipulates that the media must protect the privacy, reputation and honour of citizens, notably children, young people and families.
The instruction further recalls that the Media Act prohibits the publication of information revealing a child's identity if it endangers the child's wellbeing.
In line with UN recommendations, the State Prosecutor's Office demands that courts act under the Constitution, laws, international conventions and declarations when the media violate a child's right to privacy.