Clinical Psychiatrist Dr. Kanthi Hettigoda said that suicide bombers should not be labelled as 'smart', as it may influence others with such ideas as well. She was speaking at a workshop on helping those traumatised by the Easter Sunday attacks to recover mentally. The event was organised by the Presidential Secretariat.
Special attention was drawn to the responsibility the media bore, when reporting such news, in order to minimise the stress that those affected by the attacks were under.
Dr. Hettigoda said that brainwashing a person to become a suicide bomber was a long process. She added that, however, an individual becoming a suicide bomber was the result of a mental disorder.
“Generally, every creature attempts to protect its life. Therefore, if one commits suicide, it indicates that he or she is suffering from a mental disorder,” she said.
“Religious places are considered sacred and therefore, the impact the Easter Sunday attacks had on the public is high,” she added.
Dr. Hettigoda added that the media bore the responsibility of ethical reporting, so as to help rebuild the mindset of the affected persons. She said the term ‘affected persons’ was not limited to those who directly faced the incident, but for whoever may have seen the aftermath of the crime through social media as well.
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