Image abuse crackdown proposed by minister

Nude and fake digital images abuse could be banned in Jersey in a bid to tackle violence against women and girls.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat has lodged five proposals in an attempt to strengthen the way the justice system addressed crimes including domestic abuse, strangulation and stalking.

The plans said the use of the internet to stalk or harass people had become increasingly common and "intimate image abuse is a very real and serious threat to the wellbeing of young people".

Le Hegarat said many jurisdictions had changed laws to stop "harmful behaviour" and added it was "imperative Jersey followed suit".

She said the Draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Amendment Law 202 formed part of a wider package of legislation relating to the introduction of recommendations by the government's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce.

It said findings from VAWG's public survey research highlighted islanders did not feel enough was being done to effectively respond to intimate image abuse and other forms of abuse carried out online.

The survey found eight out of 10 respondents did not agree the island's government took online forms of violence against women and girls seriously, while nine out of 10 agreed cyber-flashing should be a crime.

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