Latest news with #intimateimageabuse
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Revenge porn: Victim support in NI 'not good enough'
Support for victims of so-called revenge porn in Northern Ireland "isn't good enough", a Stormont assembly member has said. The Social Democratic and Labour Part's Cara Hunter said the absence of help to target and remove intimate content shared without consent showed a "lack of urgency".Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland with no publicly funded service to get intimate images taken down or Department of Justice (DoJ) said: "As intimate image abuse becomes a growing issue, the minister is keen to enhance services." Intimate image abuse, commonly referred to as revenge porn, is the sharing of sexual images of someone without their consent, both online and who herself was the victim of a 'deep fake' in which a pornographic video was digitally altered to appear like her, has urged the DoJ to fund a service that proactively finds and removes non-consensual images for services are government funded to operate in England, Scotland and Wales, and in the Republic of Ireland. 'I don't know if those images still exist' A victim whose intimate images were shared without consent told BBC News NI: "All I wanted was to know they'd been deleted."Olivia (not her real name) reported the incident to police after learning that photos she had sent to a man years earlier had been shown to others in her the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided not to prosecute, Olivia said she felt "completely dismissed" and there was no way to ensure those images had been deleted. "Although justice would have been great, it wouldn't help me because I don't know if those images still exist," she said. She claimed one officer told her if she had not shared the images, then she would not be in that position. "There was no empathy towards me, and it was as if the two men were the victims," she PPS said it had concluded "that the available evidence in this case was insufficient", and the Police Ombudsman said it was "unable to either prove or refute" Olivia's allegation that officers "had treated her insensitively". "This is such a cruel crime," said Hunter. "It's a way of making people feel exposed, humiliated, ashamed, embarrassed."It's horrifying. I've sat in my constituency office with victims who are absolutely devastated."The Revenge Porn Helpline is funded by the Home Office in England and Wales, and by the Scottish government in manager, Sophie Mortimer said: "Women often come to us and say 'I'm so sorry I'm having to come to you for help, I've been so stupid', and I say, 'no. You haven't done anything wrong, this is someone who has abused your trust'." How is revenge porn removed? The helpline's researchers use "reverse image searches and facial recognition" to identify content on behalf of victims, Ms Mortimer then approach platforms to ask them to remove the images. helps victims in the Republic of Ireland, however no equivalent service receives funding in Northern Ireland. Without support victims must manually search the internet using reverse image tools and scanning social media, forums, and websites themselves. That involves filing separate reports for each image, on each platform often without assurance of swift removal or meaningful the helpline said it wouldn't turn victims in Northern Ireland away, it stressed that resources would have to be prioritised towards cases in England, Scotland and Wales where it is actually funded to a statement, the DoJ said: "Residents of Northern Ireland can avail of the support services of the Revenge Porn Helpline or visit their website."The department is fully engaged with the Revenge Porn Helpline to explore options available to formally extend and promote its service to Northern Ireland."Hunter said the lack of funding for a content removal services was "part of the problem"."A lot of revenge porn is undeniably linked with misogyny and I think it's really important that we speak more about tech-facilitated abuse". Intimate image abuse was criminalised in England and Wales in 2015, by the Northern Ireland assembly in 2016, and by the Scottish government in 2017. Figures obtained by the BBC under Freedom of Information laws reveal that there were 14 convictions in Northern Ireland in 2024, and 12 in 2023. The latest PSNI figures show there were 91 cases investigated in 2024, and 86 in 2023, but charities argue the issue is much more of help and support with any form of sexual abuse are available in the UK at BBC Action Line.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Pregnant Love Island star Georgia Harrison reveals exact due date as she counts down to birth of first baby
LOVE Island star turned campaigner Georgia Harrison has revealed the exact due date of her first child. The pregnant ITV2 show alum looked radiant in a yellow summer dress showing off her baby bump as she arrived at ITV daytime show Good Morning Britain. 6 6 Former TOWIE star Georgia, 30, was on the early-morning series to talk about her recent MBE news, with her set to pick up the accolade later this year. She has been bestowed the honour for her campaigning efforts around intimate image abuse and revenge porn, after herself being a victim of the crimes. Her ex, MTV reality star Stephen Bear, 35, previously shared a video of himself having sex with Georgia in a garden after she begged him not to. In the court case, Ex On The Beach alum Bear was ordered to pay Georgia £27,000 or risk prison. The disgraced reality star was previously jailed for 21 months over the sex tape. She bravely waived her right to anonymity to tell how the scandal had ruined her life - before playing a pivotal role in campaigning to change the law over intimate images and consent. Georgia's hard work has since seen her become the first Love Island star ever to receive such an award. GMB show anchor Susanna Reid, 54, opened the chat and told the star - who revealed her revealed in April she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Jack Stacey - "Congratulations to you. "Not just on the MBE but also the fact you are expecting a baby as well." Georgia then replied: "Yes," before Susanna added: "So you may turn up to the palace to receive your award with a babe in arms, depending on when it's given out?" Pregnant Georgia Harrison reveals her glam new look ahead of Ibiza trip Georgia said: "I may be able to tell my child one day that you did get to meet someone from the Royal Family and you were there - yeah that would be amazing." Susanna's co-host Richard Madeley, 69, then asked her directly: "When's it due?" Georgia continued: "It's due the fifth of November so I think there's quite a high chance that I will still be pregnant when I go in for the MBE." She then told how she would consider a career in politics later in her life following her campaigning success. The star admitted that while she still felt an "air of discomfort" from her own experiences, she now knows "what a difference my case has made." Yet the All Stars contestant admitted some sick trolls were still asking where they could find the sex tape video, as she noted more needed to be done. BABY JOY Georgia's baby news came just 10 months into her relationship with Jack. She shot to fame on Love Island in 2017 and returned for the first All Stars series last year. Despite leaving the All Stars villa with Anton Danyluk, their romance quickly fizzled out and just months later she and Jack met on a dating app. Opening up about meeting Jack and falling pregnant, Georgia told OK! Magazine: "If you don't go to the interview, you're not going to get the job, are you?' 'I was thinking, 'I'm nearly 30, I really want to make an effort to meet someone'. But I was quite pessimistic about love in general. 'It took me a while to really believe that someone could treat me so well, but Jack did. "Now here we are, living together and about to have a baby! 'I do believe the things I've experienced in my past were meant to lead me to where I am now.' Georgia was also asked on social media about her baby shower plans, and replied to a fan: 'I wanted to do a goth theme or Tiger King theme but my friends and family have said no. 'There's still time though.' 6 6 6
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Revenge porn victims will feel 'abandoned,' critics warn as less than half of reported crimes end up in court
Fewer than half of revenge porn cases reported to the police have ended up in Scotland's courts. And of those that are prosecuted, only a tiny proportion have resulted in a custodial sentence, figures obtained by The Scottish Mail on Sunday show. In the last full year, just two people were imprisoned for the crime of intimate image abuse, despite there being nearly 800 reports to police. In 2023-24, there were 781 reports made to Police Scotland regarding suspects threatening to or disclosing intimate images. In the previous year, the figure was 805 and in the year before that it was 912. However, the number of charges reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for those same years was 215, 228 and 312, respectively. Of the 215 charges reported in 2023-24 under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) 2016 Act, 51 people were convicted, 57 are ongoing, and 20 were marked 'no further action'. In the same period, four people were admonished – effectively let off with a warning – 34 were given a community payback order, three had to pay compensation, five were fined, one was put under a non-harassment order and two were given a restriction of liberty order. Only one was imprisoned, to add to the single criminal jailed in 2022-23. The revelation comes as the Revenge Porn Helpline provided support in more than 22,000 cases in 2024 compared with 18,000 in the previous year, following a 20 per cent rise in demand from victims across the UK. Helpline manager Sophie Mortimer said: 'Our data continuously highlights that intimate image abuse is still one of the most significant and concerning digital harms affecting adults right now. 'The rise in cases, the low levels of conviction and the persistent difficulties and gaps within legislation demonstrate that existing measures are insufficient.' Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for victims Sharon Dowey said: 'Revenge porn is a horrendous crime. 'It is deeply alarming that such a small number of cases are either being brought to court or ending up with offenders being convicted. 'Victims will rightly feel abandoned and question whether it was worth reporting these crimes. 'It is vital that SNP Ministers heed these damning figures.' Scotland's procurator fiscal for domestic abuse, Emma Forbes, said: 'Each year between 2021 and 2024, we took action in at least 86 per cent of charges received. 'We take reports of alleged abuse seriously and will take the appropriate prosecutorial action where there is sufficient evidence, and it is in the public interest to do so.' Detective Inspector Alasdair Penny said: 'Police are experiencing an increase in the number of revenge porn-related incidents being reported and are encouraged that people are more confident in coming forward. 'Every report is investigated thoroughly, and we will do all we can to gather available evidence. Where criminality is established, we will find those responsible and bring them to justice.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The investigation of crime is an independent operational matter for Police Scotland and prosecutions are an independent matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.'
