The media, citing the police as their source, have reported that two cases of attempted rape were recorded in Zagreb over a period of one week and that the suspects were an asylum seeker and a foreign citizen. The HND said that some media outlets failed to apply ethic and professional standards in their reports.
Welcoming a quick reaction from the police, the HND called on all media to, while reporting on such and similar cases, be aware of their influence and responsibility not to publish semi-true information and their own assumptions. This way they will avoid creating a lynching campaign atmosphere and jeopardising the safety of members of the already vulnerable community of asylum seekers.
The role of the media in forming the public opinion about the issue is strong, as this is a group of people who are unprotected, have no social power and cannot represent their own interests, the HND said.
The HND recalled that the media in Croatia played an important positive role during the humanitarian refugee crisis by raising awareness and solidarity with the refugees.
The HND said it was taking part in the Media Against Hate campaign, led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and financially supported by the European Commission.