No need of revealing identity of rape victims for public sympathy: HC

The names or photographs of a sexual abuse victim should not be revealed as such actions have long term "detrimental consequences", the Delhi High Court said today.

The observation by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar was directed at a media house, which apologised for revealing the identity of the eight-year-old girl who was raped and killed in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The bench made the remark when the media house expressed reservation in paying the Rs 10 lakh compensation as ordered by the court, claiming it had revealed the identity of the victim to "arouse public sentiments and sympathy".

Strongly disagreeing with the stand of the media house, the bench said,"The long term consequences of revealing a victim's identity are drastic and detrimental to the victim and her family. We do not need photographs of the victim for people to be sympathetic. As a result of revealing the identity of the victim, her whole family is ostracised and suffers."