Diario Extra, a sensationalist tabloid in Costa Rica that is known for its bold headlines, over-the-top crime reporting and photos spreads of scantily-clad and seductive Ticas, was recently condemned by the Colegio of Periodistas (Board of Journalism) after the daily published ghastly photos of a motor vehicle accident on Route 32 connecting San Jose with the Caribbean region.

“We join the repudiation by citizens who are angry at what they consider a lack of respect for victims and an affront to freedom of the press…”

The strong words above came from a letter by Board of Journalism President Marlon Mora, which was published by online news daily Informa-Tico. The photos in question depicted the tragic demise of a young couple who crashed head-on against a bus after the driver attempted the dangerous maneuver of overtaking on a winding road. The high-speed collision disemboweled the victims and spilled their inner organs all over the wrecked Hyundai and the road, which is exactly what the photos published by Diario Extra depicted.

The pictures, which appeared on the online edition of Diario Extra, were quickly copied by numerous websites dedicated to the viewing and crass commentary of butcherly images and videos. To this end, Board President Mora decried Diario Extra’s actions:

“We disapprove the use of photographs that violate the human rights of families and loved ones in the guise of covering hard news. Yellow journalism exists in all countries where freedom of expression and of the press is valued and respected since it underlines the independent decisions made by news outlets with regard to what they publish. As supporters of human rights, however, we cannot support the use of images that disrespect the feelings of victims’ families and that desecrate life’s most intimate moment, which is the moment of death.”

For the record, the Costa Rica Star often cites Diario Extra in news articles published herein. In recent weeks, Diario Extra had garnered international support for its brave decision to take on a national law enforcement agency in Costa Rica that has allegedly spied on and intimidated at least one of their journalists. In agreement with the comments above, links to the accident report and photos have been intentionally omitted from this article.