The Fiji Police Force has urged members of the public to stop taking or sharing videos and photos of deceased persons.
The warning follows the circulation of a video showing the discovery of late national netball coach Unaisi Rokoura’s body.
The video, which surfaced online, captured the moment the joint police search team recovered Ms Rokoura’s body after she was reported missing on Saturday.
She is believed to have drowned while gathering freshwater mussels in Navuso.
Her body was found on Monday.
Police said the footage was not taken by any member of the joint search team, but by a member of the public who had been assisting with search efforts.
“Out of respect for the family, members of the public are asked not to share the video of the victim of the alleged drowning incident in Navuso,” Police said.
“The sharing of the video lacks empathy for the grieving family, and no one should ever have to endure such trauma, at the expense of someone wanting to gain likes and followings on social media.”
Police have further urged people to stop commenting on and sharing the footage and to allow the family to grieve in private.
“As a society we must do better by maintaining a respectful and compassionate online environment, simply by being more thoughtful and considerate when it comes to grieving families.”
While the original post has since been deleted, copies and screen recordings continue to circulate on social media platforms.
