Revenge porn
Are we doing enough to protect victims of intimate image abuse?
Taking a cheeky, intimate snap of yourself, you send it to your long-term, loving partner. It makes you feel confident and attractive and sparks the sexual tension.
A consensual nude to someone you trust.
But as soon as you press ‘send’ on your device, the power is completely out of your hands.
It is possible for the recipient to share the sexual image or video across many different platforms – with or without your consent.
They might post it straight away, or they might keep it stored on their phone for months, years even.
One day, that photo could haunt you by a jealous, controlling ex-partner.
Revenge pornography: the creation and sharing of nonconsensual, intimate images and videos.
Victoria Myers, Head of Abuse Claims at Graham & Coffey & Co. Solicitors, explains revenge porn: ‘When a relationship breaks down, some individuals may choose to use intimate photos as a means of ‘revenge’ against their ex-partner.’
‘This can lead to feelings of humiliation, depression and mental health issues,’ Victoria says. ‘Revenge porn leaves scars. It can understandably cause trust issues in future relationships.’
According to a recent poll by Slater and Gordon, almost one in ten Brits are revenge porn victims. Some women are coerced into taking nude photos of themselves.
Others have their pictures taken when they’re asleep or in the shower, without their knowledge or consent.
And some don’t even take nudes, but are still victims of revenge porn; a new digital trend, coined ‘deepfake pornography’, is when an individual’s face is superimposed on to pornographic photos or videos.
Victoria discusses the lack of education on revenge porn.
‘I think revenge porn is widely misunderstood. It is a form of sexual abuse and many will not realise it,’ she says.
‘Unfortunately, this sort of behaviour is often tolerated.’
Revenge porn became an offence in England and Wales in April 2015, and since, the number of cases reported to the police has shockingly more than doubled.
Last year, revenge porn UK legislations went under review, after the Law Commission was asked whether current laws protect those targeted and have kept pace with technological change.
The justice minister, Paul Maynard, said: ‘No one should have to suffer the immense distress of having intimate images taken or shared without consent. We are acting to make sure our laws keep pace with emerging technology and trends in these disturbing and humiliating crimes.’
The current legislation has flagged up an alarming list of short falls.
‘It is difficult to prosecute an offender because revenge porn is not classified as a sexual offence in the UK,’ Victoria says. ‘Under the 2015 Communications Act, victims have no right to anonymity.
‘This means they are
reluctant to cooperate with the police, and as a result, conviction rates are low.’
Sentences require proof of ‘direct intention to cause distress’ – this means that perpetrators who claim they posted the image ‘for a laugh’ are off the hook.
The current definition of a sexual image includes female breasts, genitals and sexual activity; this excludes a wide range of images, such as wearing a bra and underwear.
Lastly, deepfake pornography isn’t covered at all.
Revenge Porn Helpline works to help distressed victims and remove content before it spreads across multiple platforms.
Unfortunately, online images spread – fast, and they can never be fully deleted.
There is no escaping the worldwide web.
In October 2016, Alice Ruggles, 24, was murdered in Gateshead by her former boyfriend, Trimaan Dhillion.
After her death, it emerged that her killer had been threatening to share intimate images of her online.
Alice’s mother,
Dr Sue Hills, believes threatening to share images should be made part of the law.
‘It causes immensely serious psychological damage – it is a crime,’ she said.
Youtuber
Chrissy Chambers,
27, was unknowingly filmed seven times during sex with her ex-boyfriend when she was 18 years old, without her knowledge or informed consent.
Two years after they broke up, he uploaded them to a free porn site, where they were seen hundreds of thousands of times.
Chrissy told the BBC: ‘It has affected my life in every way imaginable. Revenge porn almost killed me.’
Chrissy sued her former partner for harassment, breach of confidence and misuse of private information.
Last year, Chrissy got justice and won copyright of the videos online.
For Chrissy, this was, eventually, a case closed.
For thousands of other victims, revenge porn haunts them for the rest of their lives.
‘Much more should be done to protect victims of revenge porn,’ Victoria says.
‘The revenge porn legislation requires a total overhaul.’
Victoria believes the crime needs to be reclassified as a sexual offence, and victims need to be provided with the anonymity that is currently given to sexual offence victims.
‘Revenge porn has the ability to ruin lives,’ Victoria says.
‘And education is key to promoting a greater understanding both legally and emotionally.’
Evidently, there is much more that needs to be done to support revenge porn victims.
It is not a crime to send consensual intimate images of yourself to a partner.
It is a crime to create and share sexual photographs without the person’s consent.
If you or someone you know is a victim of revenge porn, you can contact the Revenge Porn Helpline on 03456000459.