Image-based sexual abuse is still not a crime in Ireland. Image-based sexual abuse is a huge violation of privacy and is a continuum of revenge pornography, upskirting, cyber-flashing, and many more.

Many women in Ireland are constantly targeted and disproportionately affected by this resulting in severe repercussions, leading in some cases to suicide. Girls affected by image-based sexual abuse are often also victims of severe cyber-bullying and job losses because of this. 

Women in Ireland live in constant fear of having their most private pictures released without consent and even being recorded unknowingly. Abusive partners will threaten women to stay with them or they will release their images causing them to stay trapped in abusive relationships. 

I am publically asking the Irish government for the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill be signed into Irish law including that those guilty be added to the sex offenders register and face a criminal conviction which could see those convicted jailed for up to 7 years.

Dara Quigley was detained under The Mental Health Act in 2017. CCTV footage of her walking naked and being detained was kept by the guards. A guard recorded the CCTV footage and sent them over WhatsApp where it was shared over 125,000 times. Days later Dara took her own life. The garda accused of sharing the footage did not face criminal charges and Dara deserves justice.