Revenge porn can destroy lives, warns Jill’s mother-in-law
THE mother-in-law of murder victim Jill Meagher says those guilty of revenge porn destroy the lives of innocent people.
Her comments come as the Sunday Independent has learned that landmark legislation outlawing this form of online assault will be published before the end of the upcoming Dail term.
The clampdown will target various forms of internet-based bullying, including revenge porn, where abusers distribute nude images of their victims without consent.
The move follows a Law Reform Commission report last September which detailed a number of new harassment offences to reflect advances in technology.
The report proposes jail terms of up to seven years for anybody guilty of publishing online revenge porn, or engaging in serious internet-linked harassment or cyber-stalking.
Joan Meagher’s daughterin-law, Jill, was raped and murdered in Melbourne, Australia, in 2012 as she walked home from a night out with friends.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mrs Meagher highlighted the trauma and heartbreak caused by online abuse.
“Revenge porn is appalling. All that stuff absolutely needs to be legislated for. It’s terribly dangerous. It can destroy somebody’s life,” she said.
“It’s definitely time something is also done about cyberstalking and physical stalking.
“If you have any sort of a profile on Facebook, you can be stalked.
“People who do this sort of thing become obsessed, and think they have a right to invade your privacy.”
Next month will mark the fifth anniversary of Jill’s murder.
Her husband, Tom, has now returned to Australia to try to rebuild his life. “Please God he will be happy again,” said Mrs Meagher.