Journalistic ethic

Journalistic ethic

In your editorial Time for action (March 23, 1996) you made valid comments about the current inappropriate and unacceptable attitudes in Indonesian society towards rape. Unfortunately some of these inappropriate attitudes still prevail amongst your journalists.

In an otherwise factual report about crimes in the Bekasi area, your journalist thought it relevant to inform us that police investigations had revealed that most of the victims had not been wearing underwear when their assailants had broken into their home.

Whilst this bizarre line of police investigation highlights the need for radical changes in society's attitudes towards rape and sexual assault, there is no need for The Jakarta Post to compound the problem by giving space to such irrelevancies.

I hope that future reports about rapes and sexual assaults will be consistent with the commendable line adopted in your editorials.

LYNNE JACOTINE

Jakarta