By Ingrid Bachmann
The legal debate on the line between protecting the privacy of youth and supporting free expression was temporarily decided on the side of the former, when the Chamber for Minors in the capital city of San Salvador upheld the ruling against José Roberto Dutriz, the president of La Prensa Gráfica, for publishing the name and photos of a minor that was charged in the public killing of another youth in March, El Mundo and ElSalvador.com report.
The paper’s lawyer said the decision could lead to the criminalization of critical journalism. President and former journalist Mauricio Funes said he was disappointed with the ruling and the Inter America Press Association (IAPA) called it “a negative precedent for free speech and press freedom.”
However, the judges overseeing the case argued that the paper violated a law that forbids the publication of images that harm minors. La Prensa Gráfica said that it would appeal the ruling.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
