Police pictures risk children's rights

The Board, which is responsible for holding the PSNI to account, wants an assurance that pictures of, or personal information about, people under 18 won't be made public unless in very exceptional circumstances.

"If you identify a young person as being a problem, then society makes its mind up that they are a problem - so they become and are treated as a problem from then on and you can never rescue them from that," the UUP's Basil McCrea, who is Chair of the Board's Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee, said.

He added: "We are not saying that you should never publish photographs of people, but you should only do so once all other avenues have been exhausted and only when serious issues are at stake."

Acting Vice Chair of the Board Gearóid Ó hEara said: "Contrary to what many believe, children and young people are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it.

"The Committee wishes to encourage and support the PSNI to continue to engage with local communities in a meaningful and sustained way and to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour at the local level, relying on local expertise and the work already underway by community-based groups."

If you demonise a very young person, you will have to live with the consequences of that for a very long time.

Basil McCrea, UUP Policing Board member

The PSNI has defended the policy of publishing pictures as "proportionate and lawful".

Welcoming the review, Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "We are dedicated to delivering personal, professional and protective policing to everyone no matter what age group.

"Young people are our future and we are committed to supporting and working with them. It is vital that they are given a direct voice in the community and we will take every opportunity to listen to what they have to say about their policing service."

DUP Policing Board member Jonathan Bell insisted appeals to identify those involved in situations like the riots in the Ardoyne area were "entirely appropriate".

"When someone takes a milk bottle, fills it with petrol, stuffs a rag in it, lights it up and then throws it at the police, they have committed a premeditated criminal act designed to kill or injure police officers serving the community," he said.

"People throughout the community want to see those responsible for incidents, such as those witnessed at Ardoyne last July, brought before a court of law and prosecuted."

He added: "The rights of criminals have been prioritised over the rights of victims. It is high time the Policing Board started looking at these matters from the victim's perspective rather than through the eyes of criminals and those who deliberately flout the law."

The concerns over the publication of children's pictures were raised in the Policing Board's Children and Young People Thematic Review, which looks specifically at how the PSNI meets human rights obligations.

It was launched at an event at Malone College in Belfast, where young people were able to participate in a debate on policing and how it affected them.