The welfare of a 13-year-old girl and her parents may have been jeopardised when a video of her sexual assault was aired on the TV6 programme Crime Watch, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Social Workers (TTASW). The umbrella organisation for professional social workers in this country has criticised the show's host, Ian Alleyne, for airing video footage of the disabled minor on national television at different occasions on October 25 and 26.
According to the TTASW, the rights of a child were breached and Alleyne did not demonstrate responsible journalism. "Children comprise the majority of social workers' client population and the TTASW will therefore support any action that reduces their vulnerability, prevents and addresses injustice and safeguards their well-being," the group said. "The Association trusts that the relevant authorities will do all within their power to ensure that such actions and any others that infringe on the rights of children and other vulnerable populations in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is never repeated."