Case will be filed against police officers who allegedly disclosed personal details of ‘Victoria’

Case will be filed against police officers who allegedly disclosed personal details of ‘Victoria’

The Victoria Case Seeking Truth Committee say that they will file a case within few days against some senior police officers who they allege disclosed the true identity and personal details of the minor rape victim in the “Victoria” case.

After the trial court discharged accused Aung Gyi in this minor rape case with the three-year-old kindergarten student with the pseudonym Victoria, the Myanmar Police Force held a press conference next day on December 19, 2019 and they disclosed the true identity and personal details of this minor rape case victim at this press conference.

Writer Htin Linn Oo from Seeking Truth Committee said, “We will certainly file case against them under section 101 of Child Protection Law for causing grievances to the child. And then we will also sue them in a civil suit for damages. First we intended to file case against them under section 66(d) of Telecommunications Law. We are now considering which one will be more reasonable in filing cases against them. We have consulted with Independent Lawyers Association of Myanmar (ILAM) for representing these cases and we have handed over this case to them. We can say these lawyers are now working on these cases.”

Father of Victoria has given General Power to writer Htin Linn Oo who is the authorized person of this Victoria Case Seeking Truth Committee and it is learned that the committee has given power of attorney to lawyers Thein Than Oo and Khin Maung Zaw from ILAM for representing this case.

Regarding filing case against senior police officers, advocate Khin Maung Zaw said to Mizzima, “There are stages in this case. The accused will be the government officers so that only the President has the power to appoint and dismiss them. So we must ask for sanction from the President to prosecute them. We need such sanction if we file a criminal case against them under section 101. We can prosecute them only after getting such sanction.”

The case looks set to be filed in the coming week.

Writer Htin Linn Oo said, “The National Human Rights Commission has said that the disclosure of personal details of a minor rape victim infringed the law. So it is sure there is a violation of the law. If there is the smoke there must be fire. Where is this fire? Who is responsible? We must find all these things. The rule of law will never resurrect again in our country if we cannot find fire though we see smoke.”

There are over 70 members from legal experts, businessmen and other different fields in this Victoria Case Seeking Truth Committee and it is learned that expenses for the court proceedings and filing cases will be borne only by contributions donated by these committee members.

Section 101(a) of Protection of Child Rights Law stipulates that violation of section 96(d) could make a culprit for imprisonment from four to twelve months and a fine between 400,000 and 600,000 kyat.

Section 96(d) of this law stipulates that whoever shall not disclose the true identity of either minor accused or minor witness in any case and shall not take facts in such cases, taking photos of these minors; advertising, reporting, distribution and using of these facts in newspapers, magazines, journals and any other publications, and shall not broadcast about them in the radio, TV or any other mass media means.