Media reporting on child homicide victims: a consultation on the issues

We held a public consultation on media reporting on child homicide victims between 9 July 2024 and 1 October 2024

In the consultation we asked for views on a range of possible approaches - both legislative and non-legislative - to reducing the trauma that media reporting can have on bereaved families, and on the wider impacts those approaches might have.

The purpose of the consultation was to gather views so that next steps could be informed by a wide range of insights and experiences.

There were 46 responses to the consultation. Of these almost two-thirds (30) were received from groups/organisations and one third (16) were received from individuals. The largest category of respondent was media organisations, who submitted 11 of the responses.

Overall, throughout the consultation there was a general split in opinion between media organisations, and individuals who have been bereaved and victim support organisations. Respondents’ views were particularly polarised on whether legislating for anonymity was the appropriate action to take, and none of the four options set out in the consultation paper was supported by a majority of respondents.

The analysis of the responses received can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911937

An easy read summary of the main findings is available at: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912484

We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to share their views and experiences, those who have been bereaved in particular.

We published an analysis of the consultation responses on 24 February 2025, it is available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911937 

An easy read summary of the main findings of the analysis is available at www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912484

NEXT STEPS

We do not intend to bring forward any legislation in this area.

The consultation has made clear that there would be serious complexities with developing legislation that avoided unintended consequences; that struck a robust balance between privacy rights and freedom of expression; and that could be enforced in practice.

However, many of the experiences highlighted in consultation responses vividly illustrate the need for more sensitive reporting on these cases. We therefore intend to work with stakeholders on the following non-legislative measures:

• Media guidance – the Scottish Government is committed to supporting the development of dedicated guidance for the media on sensitive reporting on child homicide cases, with a view to it being developed as a collaboration between victim support organisations and media representatives.
• Training - We are exploring the potential for journalism courses, newsrooms or regulators to offer bespoke training for journalists. We are also in discussion with justice partners about other work that could help in this area, including specialist training and guidance.
• Support materials for families - Victim Support Scotland, through its specialist service for families bereaved by crime, provides support and guidance for bereaved families on what to expect in terms of engagement with, and coverage by, the media. We are working with them on building this resource for wider use, such as guidance to support families in navigating the media interest in - and coverage of - the case, and to provide information on their rights throughout the criminal justice process.
• Further support for families - We are engaging closely with Victim Support Scotland to explore whether there are other practical interventions that would directly support affected families.