The Minister for Justice has promised to bring new laws, criminalising the sharing of intimate images without consent, back before the Dáil next month.
Gardaí are investigating after tens of thousands of intimate images of women in Ireland were leaked online in recent days.
While some of the images were taken from websites like OnlyFans, it is believed the leak also includes many images that were shared privately.
Nearly 50,000 people have since signed a petition calling for the criminalisation of image-based sexual abuse.
I know the recent leak of tens of thousands of intimate images of Irish women has caused so much upset and anger.
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) November 20, 2020
In a series of Tweets this morning, the Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she shares the “upset and anger” people around the country are feeling about the images shared online.
“I want people to know that I am determined to act and to introduce tough new laws to ensure that anyone who shares these kinds of images will face serious criminal sanctions,” she said.
Minister McEntee said she is working with the Labour Party justice spokesperson Brendan Howlin on enacting his Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill.
I know the recent leak of tens of thousands of intimate images of Irish women has caused so much upset and anger.
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) November 20, 2020
It will also be irrelevant if consent is given for an intimate image to be taken - I will ensure they can never be shared, even if consent was given for the image to be taken.
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) November 20, 2020
She said she aims to have the Bill enacted as soon as possible and would bring proposals to Cabinet to make it an offence to share intimate images without consent, regardless of the motivation for doing so.
She said it will also be an offence to share the images if consent was given for them to be taken in the first place.
“It was heartening to hear strong support from all parties in the Dáil this week for such proposals and I hope we can work together to make this law as soon as possible,” she said.
In its current form, the bill makes it illegal to record, distribute or publish an intimate image of another person without their consent if it “seriously interferes with the peace and privacy of the other person or causes alarm, distress or harm to the other person.”
It would also make it an offence to threaten to do so.
The legislation carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
Cabinet already approved the legislation in May, with then-Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan promising to progress it on a priority basis.
In September, Minister McEntee promised to enact it before the end of the year.
