Victims of intimate image abuse will have up to six times longer to report a crime under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled in Parliament on Monday (3 November).
The new amendments will mean criminals who take or share an intimate image without consent can be prosecuted up to three years after the offence was committed, giving victims crucial time and breathing space to come forward.
This will help break down unnecessary barriers victims face when reporting a crime, improving access to justice for those who need it the most.
Intimate image abuse is an abhorrent sexual offence, and this government is determined to see the perpetrators of these cowardly crimes get the punishment they deserve, said Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones.
“Online misogyny has devastating real-life consequences for all of us. Every day, women and girls have their lives turned upside down by cowards who hide behind screens to abuse and exploit them.
“This government will not stand by whilst women are violated online and victimised by violent pornography, which is allowed to normalise harm. We are sending a strong message that dangerous and sexist behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Violent imagery
A further amendment will crack down on violent pornography, criminalising the possession and publication of images depicting strangulation and suffocation.
This follows a recommendation from Baroness Bertin’s Independent Porn Review, which found pornography has contributed to establishing strangulation as a ‘sexual norm’, particularly among young people who may be unaware of its long-term harms.
The depiction of strangulation in pornography will be designated as a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning platforms will be held accountable and ensure content does not spread, which can lead to normalising harmful practices in people’s private lives.
They will be required to take proactive steps to prevent users from seeing illegal strangulation and suffocation content. This could include companies using automated systems to pre-emptively detect and hide the images, moderation tools or stricter content policies to prevent abusive content from circulating.
“Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous. Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society,” said Tech Secretary Liz Kendall.
“We’re also holding tech companies to account and making sure they stop this content before it can spread. We are determined to make sure women and girls can go online without fear of violence or exploitation.”
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