Finally! Threatening somebody with revenge porn will be illegal
Today marks a monumental law change surrounding revenge porn – after tireless campaigning from domestic violence charity, Refuge, along with the full support of Cosmopolitan, the public and celebrities such as Zara McDermott, the government have announced that it will soon be illegal to threaten to share somebody's intimate photos or videos.
It's hoped that the widening of pre-existing revenge porn laws (which since 2015 have seen 900 abusers convicted) will encourage more victims to come forward. The amendment sees those who threaten "to disclose intimate images with the intention to cause distress" face up to two years in jail.
Lisa King, Director of Communications and External Relations at Refuge said of the news, "This is a significant moment for women experiencing domestic abuse who have been threatened with the sharing of their private intimate images and we are thrilled that the government has recognised the need for urgent change. Our research found that 1 in 7 young women have experienced these threats to [have their pictures or videos shared], with the overwhelming majority experiencing them from a current or former partner, alongside other forms of abuse."
She added that the Domestic Abuse Bill provides the "perfect legislative vehicle for this change" and praised the government for acting "quickly and decisively".
This change in law will massively impact women like Natasha Saunders, who bravely shared her story with Cosmopolitan. Sadly, Natasha's ex-partner blackmailed her into staying in an abusive relationship with him, partly by threatening to leak intimate images of Natasha, and a video of him raping her, to Natasha's friends, family and colleagues. She said the ordeal had a huge impact on her mental health.
"I am now free from my abuser, but every day I know that there are millions of women experiencing the things I was forced to endure for so long," Natasha said of the law change coming into effect. "I am so pleased that the government has not only listened to survivors of domestic abuse, but have also acted on what they heard. This is a huge victory for women like me."
Other new amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill will see non-fatal strangulation classed as an offence, punishable by up to five years in prison, and controlling or coercive behaviour offences extended to include abuse in circumstances where victims and perpetrators no longer live together.
1 in 7 young women have experienced a threat to share an intimate image. Thanks to survivors, peers and every single supporter who joined our campaign, these threats will be made illegal in the #DomesticAbuseBill. Thank you. #TheNakedThreat https://t.co/1GfvXtAqM9 pic.twitter.com/Pn94pu9IFS
— Refuge (@RefugeCharity) March 1, 2021
The Chancellor is also expected to announce a £19 million package dedicated to further tackling domestic abuse, rate of which have increased throughout the pandemic (the first lockdown saw a 65% increase in calls to the National Domestic Abuse hotline).
Around £15 million will now be spent on programmes for perpetrators too, with the goal of preventing abuse from happening in the first place. A sum of £4m will also go towards helping vulnerable homeless women access specialist support in 'Respite Rooms' (which will include up to 132 new bed spaces being provided in London and nine other areas in England).
A huge well done to all those involved in The Naked Threat campaign (just under 45,000 people wrote to the government expressing their support) – this is truly an incredible victory.
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Cosmopolitan UK's March issue is out now and you can SUBSCRIBE HERE.
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