As cases increase, it is vital that our legal system recognises the damage of intimate image abuse
ABOVE: [photo credit to Leandro Aguilar]
In 2020, the number of people who reached out to the Revenge Porn Helpline increased by 87%. Refuge’s ‘The Naked Truth’ survey found that one in fourteen adults have been victim to intimate image abuse. The topic has also been a discussion point in recent news, in part due to BBC Three’s documentary ‘Zara McDermott: Revenge Porn’, which was released in February.
‘Revenge porn’ is the act of sharing private images/videos without the subject’s knowledge or consent. The term developed because many cases involve an angry ex-partner, seeking ‘revenge’ on someone they were previously intimate with. However, some victims are exposed by people they don’t know at all— female celebrities, in particular, are often targeted by hackers.
Following pressure from Refuge and more media attention, legislation around these incidents is now set to change. At the start of March it was announced that the Domestic Abuse Bill now recognises threats to share or leak intimate images and/or videos of someone without their consent as a criminal offence. Perpetrators can face up to two years in prison if they are charged and found guilty of the crime.
Ariella Jones is a solicitor working in Manchester with Farley’s Solicitors, and has seen the increase in revenge porn incidents with her own eyes. “At the moment, we have about four or five [cases] that are ongoing. There’s been a steady increase in the number of revenge porn inquiries we’ve had in the past year or so.”
Ms Jones asserts that revenge porn issues are becoming more common, even through the stigma that keeps victims from pursuing action. “More often than not, victims don’t tend to go through civil legal action, for a variety of reasons, but we are finding that enquiries are increasing.”
“There’s been a steady increase in revenge porn inquiries.”
Ariella Jones
The mental health impact of intimate image abuse is huge. Ariella Jones says: “In pretty much every case, a client says that they’ve had to go to their GP, or have had to have counselling. Some people even find that, because people have seen their bodies in a way that they never expected, it leads to insecurities, which leads them to want to have surgery. The mental health impact is massive, and it’s something that really defines people’s lives for them going forward.”
Kate Sinclaire had intimate images of her released by an ex partner when she was twenty. She said that “immediately, you feel the shock and the betrayal. There’s also a bit of shame that creeps in.” Kate explains that she was forced to take matters into her own hands because anonymous message boards didn’t have take-down options at that point. “There was no way of getting [it] off the internet without going through the person who posted it. So, I did. There was no other way around it. It was either living in shame or face this head-on.”
One individual who asked to remain anonymous said that his classmates shared intimate videos of him between themselves. He does not know of what their motivation was. “They just did it because they can, and not because I did something prior. It honestly makes me feel powerless even to this day.” The experience was incredibly isolating for the anonymous victim. He said that “no one among sixty of my classmates dared to stand up for me, and some even provoked me for it.”
“It makes me feel powerless even to this day.”
Anonymous
Madison, 29, was also in her early twenties when her ex partner released private images to “get back” at her for speaking out about his abuse, post-break up. She said that “the emotion I feel the most is anger, and it’s for the lack of accountability. The fact that he has never been held accountable for his actions means he will feel free to do it again to me or someone else.”
Madison acknowledges the shameful stigma, but refuses to feel ashamed. “I don’t feel shame because I know that I wasn’t in the wrong, sex is normal and natural and I’m proud of who I am.”
Ariella Jones explained some of the difficulties with seeking justice for revenge porn. “The difficulty a lot of women and men have is the stigma behind it, and the fact that unless you’re sure to save all of the relevant evidence and have a paper trail it’s quite difficult to prove.” Ms Jones also said “It’s a very new area of civil law. There aren’t that many legal precedents specifically relating to revenge porn.” She says that the current framework for civil law regarding revenge porn is “vague and wooly.”
Kate Sinclaire ended up settling outside of court with her ex partner, but she originally threatened to take him to court herself, even though it was something she feared. “Going to court would have been putting myself on trial. It would have meant having people tell me, “well, if you didn’t want these shown, why did you take them?” I was terrified of that, more than anything.”
36 year old Sinclaire said that seeking justice gave her hope. “[It changed] the way I was able to process the situation, and the way that I was able to realise, hey, I changed this outcome. It definitely helped to seek justice and to not get caught up in the idea that I was powerless, because I’m not, and no one is.”
Ariella Jones’ advice for anyone looking for help in a revenge porn inquiry should go to the police as soon as possible. She also suggests “keeping a record of everything you find, of any correspondence or documents relating to the person who’s done it” as well as getting mental health guidance.
“It’s not going to ruin your life. There are lots of people who have had this experience.”
Kate Sinclaire
Ms Sinclaire now works as an adult film maker, and says that her experience of intimate image abuse directly led her to create what she describes as ‘queer, feminist, ethical’ pornography. “The revenge porn changed my life but then it made me want to change how society works, and change that shameful stigma.”
Kate offers her understanding and support to anyone struggling or panicking. “It’s not going to ruin your life. We have this horrible idea that everything is crashing around us, and that we’ll never be employable, and our family will reject us. But there are lots of people out there who have had this experience. Talk to someone you trust, get it off your chest, because holding that shame forever will eat you inside, and it doesn’t need to.”
If you are in need of help or think you may be a victim of intimate image abuse, you can go to the Revenge Porn Helpline or to the Victims of Image Crime website.
maja anushka 