The campaign will highlight that under new legislation, people who publish sexually explicit pictures of someone else without their consent could face a prison sentence. It also seeks to reassure victims that the law is on their side and encourage them to feel able to come forward to report incidents.
The malicious sharing of sexually explicit pictures of someone else without their consent – which is also called ‘revenge porn’ – has become increasingly common as people seek to exact revenge on former partners when a relationship has ended. Under the new Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, publishing “revenge porn” is now punishable by up to two years in prison.
Be Aware B4 You Share campaign
To highlight the new offense, the Ministry of Justice has launched the Be Aware B4 You Share campaign which seeks to deter potential perpetrators by making clear the consequences.
Justice Minister Shailesh Vara said:
“Revenge Porn is humiliating and distressing for the victim. We want to make it clear to victims that we take this issue very seriously and will not stand for this malicious betrayal of trust. The new offence will make prosecutions more effective and leave those convicted of it facing a possible prison sentence.”
The campaign is being run in partnership with the UK Safer Internet Centre, Woman’s Aid and Suzy Lamplugh Trust, and encourages the public to support the drive to make revenge porn socially unacceptable and bring it to an end.
You can find out more about the campaign and how you can support it by visiting the Ministry of Justice’s dedicated campaign website.
Support for victims
‘Revenge porn’ has devastating consequences for its victims. Many feel isolated and find it difficult to talk about what they have suffered, whilst the emotional trauma of such vitriol abuse can have a lasting impact.
The campaign seeks to reassure victims feel that the law is on their side, and encourages them to feel able to come forward to report incidents from a new specialist helpline (0844 6000 495). The helpline provides callers with information on legal remedies available, their rights and how images can be removed from websites.
If you or someone you know is a victim, you should contact the helpline on 0844 6000 495 or visit the Revenge Porn Helpline website.
