Victims of revenge porn are being asked to share their stories with North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, as part of a campaign to close a ‘legal loophole’ in order to help protect their identities.
Julia Mulligan has today launched an anonymous survey to gather evidence and bolster her efforts to see Image Based Sexual Abuse, or ‘Revenge Porn’, reclassified from a communications offence to a sexual offence.
One in three allegations since 2015 are believed to have been withdrawn, according to a Freedom of Information requests noted by the NYPCC. It is believed this is often due to the lack of anonymity under the current classification of victim’s identities, and the distress this causes.
Mrs Mulligan said: “The law on revenge porn is fundamentally flawed. It needs to change and this survey will provide me with more evidence in my campaign to ensure the legal loophole is closed once and for all.
“Victims of revenge porn suffer from the moment their most intimate moments are shared online. The fact they then have to face being publicly identified if they report the crime is unfair, unjust and unacceptable.
“It is no surprise that many choose not to report what has happened to them, or that many withdraw from the legal process as time goes on. This lack of anonymity lets down victims at a time when the system should be protecting them not exposing them to further pain and distress.
“I won’t stop fighting on this issue until the law changes.”
Revenge porn is described as ‘the sharing of private, sexual materials, either photos or videos, of another person without their consent and with the purpose of causing embarrassment or distress’.
The survey is open to anyone, whether or not the offence was reported, and will ask questions including what more could be done to support and protect them. It is open until Monday, September 10.
It can be accessed here www.nomorenaming.co.uk
