‘Luke's law' should be created to ban sharing of videos of people ‘in their final moments'
A call has been made for legislation to be introduced to prohibit the sharing of videos of people 'in their final moments'.
Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn highlighted the incident in Cork last week in which 34-year-old man
Luke Hyde was filmed by onlookers as he got into difficulty and drowned
in the river Lee.
He called for legislation, to be called Luke's law, to be introduced in Mr Hyde's memory – similar to
Coco's law
, which was enacted to prevent the sharing of intimate images without consent.
The Cork North-Central TD said there is 'currently no legal protection to prevent the sharing of videos for someone on their final moments' and the tragedy in Cork had been compounded 'by the fact that many people stood by, filming and taking footage, which was then shared on social media'.
READ MORE
Earlier, Independent TD Michael Lowry highlighted the same case, pointing out that
Mr Hyde's mother witnessed people 'callously filming her son's final moments'
.
The Tipperary North TD said that 'families right across the country have also been subjected to similar pitiful actions. It has become common for people to record tragic events for the sole purpose of sharing or threatening to share them on social media'.
Mr Lowry added that 'the harsh reality is that, nowadays, absolutely nothing is deemed off limits. The sheer power of social media has destroyed social conscience'.
Minister for Public Expenditure
Jack Chambers
said it is 'deeply concerning that the first instinct of some of those present when he (Mr Hyde) tragically lost his life was not to help but to take out their phones and stream the incident.
[
'Loving, caring' father who drowned in river Lee remembered at funeral Mass
Opens in new window
]
'It is a failure of basic human decency to take the view that social media clout is more important than the dignity and privacy of someone in extreme distress in their last moments.'
He said that when this sort of content is posted, very real harm is done, and 'there is a real risk that someone close to a victim of a serious accident could find out through online content'.
Mr Chambers said the issue 'may be captured by an existing provision' and he would ask the Minister for Justice to respond to the points raised.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
34 minutes ago
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on rental reform: the perilous task of fixing a broken market
Reform of the rent pressure zone rules was always going to be one of the trickiest issues facing the Cabinet. It is difficult to get the balance right between protecting tenants and encouraging development. And the topic is politically toxic, allowing the Opposition to make charges of incompetence and favouring international capital over hard-pressed renters. The backdrop is clear, even if the solutions are not. There is a supply crisis in the rental market. Doing nothing is not an option. The shortfall cannot be dealt with through State investment alone – private capital is also needed. Yet just scrapping rent pressure zones and allowing market rents across the board is not an option, as this would place an unacceptable burden on many renters. The Government has tried to square this circle by allowing market rents to apply for new developments – and to increase with inflation – while leaving current rental price protections for existing renters. Built around this are some new protections for tenants, including the extension of rent pressure zones to the entire State. Not surprisingly, the reaction is mixed, with warnings of new pressure on some renters and investors warning that the changes are not enough. The Government, too, knows pain lies ahead . Average rents are likely to increase, at least in the short term, and new supply will be unaffordable to many. Fixing a broken market is not easy. READ MORE The hope is that an increased level of development and new supply will eventually lead to more properties and falling rental costs. But in the short term a key question for investors will be whether there are enough people able to pay rents which are sufficiently high to give them the return they are looking for. The extent to which the loosening of the rules will bring forward new investment thus remains to be seen. In this mix, a significant issue is that current renters will remain in a better position than future ones, unless in time higher supply brings down new rental costs. To have enough properties affordable for lower and middle earners, this means that the Government needs to increase the supply of cost rental properties – as well as social and affordable housing – to provide options for those who cannot pay market rents. If the plan is to to lead to any kind of sustainable rental market, this type of State-led investment is essential. And other reforms are also needed to speed both private and public development. Here we are in familiar territory. The chronic shortages of infrastructure must be tackled. The planning system needs to operate much more efficiently. And further efforts are needed to bring down the costs of development. These fundamental factors are much more important than considering yet more financial incentives for developers. If the Government is to move the dial, a relentless push is needed.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Jozef Puska's sisters-in-law could not have known about murder when they burned clothes, court hears
Jozef Puska's sisters-in-law could not have known and did not believe he murdered Ashling Murphy when they burned the clothes he was wearing at the time he murdered the schoolteacher, defence lawyers have told the Central Criminal Court . Lawyers for Jozefina Grundzova (32) and Viera Gaziova (40) delivered their closing speeches to a jury on Tuesday afternoon. The two women are on trial with their husbands, Marek Puska (36) and Lubomir Puska jnr (38). Jozef Puska, a brother of Marek and Lubomir jnr, murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022 by stabbing her on the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. Marek and Lubomir jnr are on trial accused of withholding information relating to the murder while Ms Grundzova and Ms Gaziova are accused of impeding Puska's apprehension or prosecution by burning his clothes. READ MORE All accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges. They were all living with Puska, his partner Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences are alleged to have occurred. The trial heard that in a statement to gardaí, Ms Gaziova said that on the night of the murder, Lubomir jnr and Marek spoke to Puska in his bedroom and afterwards, Lubomir jnr told her that Puska had 'confessed that he killed a girl'. Paul Murray SC, for Ms Grundzova, on Tuesday told the jury that for his client to be guilty, the jury must be satisfied that she knew what Puska had done when she helped Ms Gaziova to burn the clothes. Counsel told the jury that 'hindsight is a wonderful thing' but they must look at the circumstances in the Puska household in the immediate aftermath of the murder. When his client burned Puska's clothes, she did not have any of the evidence that would later prove his guilt, Mr Murray said. The nub of the prosecution case, counsel said, is that Ms Grundzova knew or believed Puska to be guilty of the murder at a time when gardaí had arrested a different person. Mr Murray asked the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. Prosecutor Anne Marie Lawlor SC previously told the jury that all the accused knew what Puska had done shortly after 9.30pm on the night of the murder. She said Jozef told Lubomir jnr and Marek, who then relayed it to the others in the house. Ms Lawlor said the only reason for the withholding of evidence or burning of clothes was that they didn't want Puska to be apprehended or prosecuted for murder. Damien Colgan SC, for Ms Gaziova, told the jury that the 'crux of the case' is whether his client knew that Puska had stabbed Ms Murphy. Her view at that time, Mr Colgan said, was that Puska had been the victim of an assault. When she was told what Puska had said he did, she didn't believe it because she 'didn't believe Jozef was capable of killing anybody'. Kathleen Leader SC, for Lubomir jnr, said her client delayed but did not withhold information. She said he had a reasonable excuse for the delay and asked the jury to consider the 'natural sense of protection for his younger brother'. She said it is understandable he was reluctant to accept his brother had 'committed a truly horrific murder'. Ms Leader said that by January 18th, Lubomir jnr was 'squarely supporting the prosecution', telling them everything he knew. Ms Leader said the law does not require people to be 'superhuman' as she asked the jury to acquit her client. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs has begun her charge to the jury and will continue tomorrow.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
US woman awoke in Boston hotel to ‘somebody on top' raping her, jury in Dublin firefighter trial told
The Boston woman who claims she was raped by a Dublin firefighter told a US court she woke up in a hotel room to find 'somebody on top of her' raping her. The 29-year-old attorney testified for a second day in the trial of Terence Crosbie (39) in Suffolk superior courthouse in Boston on Tuesday. She claimed she was raped by Mr Crosbie, who was visiting the US city with the Dublin Fire Brigade, while his colleague slept in a shared hotel room. Mr Crosbie (39) was arrested on rape charges over St Patrick's Day weekend last year. He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. READ MORE His accuser previously testified to meeting Liam O'Brien at The Black Rose bar on March 14th, 2024. Mr O'Brien and Mr Crosbie had flown into Boston with their fire brigade colleagues to march in Boston's St Patrick's Day parade. The complainant testified on Tuesday that she didn't know Mr O'Brien was sharing a room when she returned with him from the bar to the Omni Parker House hotel after an evening of dancing. She testified that she and Mr O'Brien had consensual sex and then she went to the bathroom. When she came back from the bathroom, she said Mr O'Brien was asleep 'taking up the majority of the bed' and was snoring loudly, so she slept in the other bed, getting under the covers naked with the bathroom light still on. She told the court in tears that she 'woke up to somebody on top of me' and they were raping her. 'This person was taller than Liam and was not bald and I could hear Liam snoring,' she said. The trial had previously heard that Mr O'Brien, unlike Mr Crosbie, was bald. She testified that Mr O'Brien snored 'continuously' throughout the alleged assault. She testified that the man, later identified as Mr Crosbie, also disparaged Mr O'Brien while assaulting her. She claimed that while Mr Crosbie was having sex with her, he said: 'I know you want this; [Mr O'Brien] can't even do this for you – what a loser.' 'What are you doing?' she said she asked Mr Crosbie when she realised what was happening. 'I also did say: 'Stop!'' she told the court. She said she felt Mr Crosbie's weight on top of her and tried to get away, eventually managing to manoeuvre her legs off the side of the bed and break free. She testified that Mr Crosbie continued to follow her around the hotel room, trying to kiss her. She said she was able to collect her clothes and went to the bathroom. Mr Crosbie tried to get in and 'was jiggling the handle' after she locked the door, she told the court. She then left the hotel and texted a friend at 2:18am about the alleged assault , according to testimony. 'I hate everyone,' she wrote. 'What the f**k is wrong with people.' She told her friend that she woke up and a guy was having sex with her, 'telling me I wanted it and telling me how pathetic it was that his friend couldn't give that', the court heard. She then walked home and took an Uber taxi to a hospital. On cross-examination by Mr Crosbie's defence team, she was asked about her level of intoxication, psychiatric medication and alleged discrepancies in her accounts to medical staff, law enforcement and the grand jury. Defence attorney Daniel C Reilly asserted that she walked rather than ran out of the hotel, as stated previously. The woman replied that this was a 'figure of speech'. Mr Reilly questioned the complainant repeatedly about her accounts of the lighting in the hotel room and noted that her testimony did not include details about the defendant's birthmarks or tattoos. 'But again, you didn't notice any body marks or tattoos,' Mr Reilly said. 'I was trying not to look,' the complainant said. The trial continues in Boston.
