Government to discuss harsher penalties for ‘revenge porn’ crimes
Government ministers are to discuss tougher sanctions against jilted lovers who post explicit content of their former partners online.
Cases of so-called ‘revenge porn’ are rising in the UK, prompting campaigners to call for a change in the law to criminalise all forms of psychological abuse.
Former culture secretary Maria Miller has called for an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill in order to make it easier to prosecute those found guilty of the practice.
Responding to the plea justice secretary Chris Grayling said: “What I'd say to you today is the government is very open to having a serious discussion about this with a view to taking appropriate action in the autumn if we can identify the best way of doing so."
A number of websites specialising in the dissemination of such material have proliferated in the UK in recent years, serving as a platform for jealous boyfriends and husbands to exact revenge on their former lovers.
At present there is no specific law in the UK which bans the practice however, only a wider ‘malicious communications’ law which can include written and visual abuse, as well as harassment.