Police urge protecting minors' dignity when revealing personal information

The Maldives Police Service has urged all relevant authorities to ensure the protection and dignity of minors when their information is shared publicly.

Police in a statement released on Thursday, said the law strictly restricts the disclosure of personal information of minors tied to various cases. The authority noted that many media and social media outlets were breaching the law by sharing the images and personal information of minors, which undermine their dignity and limit protection.

Such conduct would expose children to harm, police added, especially noting that such exposure could have negative mental as well as physical impact on them.

Police further revealed such conduct was exposing minors to further harm and abuse as well.

The authority urged local media and the public against sharing personal information of minors along with their pictures on news or social media channels, and advised to stick to the legal parameters when sharing information related to minors.

While police has made the statement, several cases of children involved in criminal activities or exposed to other vulnerable circumstances have previously come to light.