Bill takes aim at sharing of intimate images

The Wildrose Party wants victims of non-consensual intimate image-sharing to have better tools to seek damages.

A private member’s bill unveiled Tuesday will create a tort law that allows victims to pursue damages from someone who distributes these kind of images and creates a process for schools to follow in punishing the perpetrators.

“This bill will be the tool victims can use to seek damages when harm has been done,” Wildrose MLA Scott Cyr told a news conference at the Alberta legislature.

Currently, victims could seek damages through a defamation lawsuit, but Cyr said “it’s very difficult to do.” He hopes this law will put a focus on the issue, much like distracted-driving laws drew police and media attention to that issue.

Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said she applauds Cyr’s bill and his efforts to reach across the aisle to talk it through with government members.

Ganley said she still has to consult her colleagues but that “initially it looks very positive” that the government will support it.

The legislation would also make students distributing these kinds of images eligible for suspension and further punishment by their school board. Cyr said schools tend to deal with these incidents in their own way and this would bring a standard procedure for them to follow.

It also means students wouldn’t be forced to see the person responsible for turning “their lives upside down every day,” said Cyr.

In Nova Scotia, 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons died by suicide after photos were distributed of an alleged gang rape at a house party. The province subsequently passed similar legislation that allowed victims to sue the perpetrators of cyberbullying.