MPs reach agreement on revenge porn bill

The House legal affairs committee on Wednesday reached consensus on a draft bill to ban revenge pornography, as it has been regulated in most of the EU, while Cyprus is still trailing behind.

Speaking after the committee session, its head, opposition Disy MP Nicos Tornaritis, said that the committee agreed during the sessions that revenge pornography is a criminal offence that is gaining dimensions in Cyprus, while most EU countries have established legislation to protect people.

The draft bill for the criminalisation of the non-consensual use of personal images of erotic and/or sexual content was submitted by opposition Akel MP Yiorgos Koukoumas.

At the start of the debate on Wednesday, in the presence of all the government agencies involved, it was stated that the legislation needed to cover all victims.

“From 2017 to 2022, the police received 65 complaints, while the Safer Internet Centre received around 400 complaints about incidents where people sent personal photos and then received threats, mainly of a financial nature, that the photos would be published,” he said.

In his written statement, Koukoumas stated that the consequence is the social and psychological extermination of the victim, isolation from the family, with consequences in the individual’s professional life, while it can lead to suicides and attempted suicide.

“It is not by chance that this crime is classified as cyber-rape,” he added.

During the meeting, a representative of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights suggested that cases involving children be regulated under an existing child protection act of 2014, which carries severe penalties, precisely because of the age of the victims.

In addition, officials of the psychological services of the health ministry reported that training is being promoted regarding the management and treatment of sexting, which can equally victimise boys and girls.

Tornaritis said it was positive the police mentioned that internet providers are discussing at a pan-European and global level the possibility of proceeding very soon with a decision to immediately delete such material as soon as it is posted on the internet.

Koukoumas said that the proposal establishes a legal obligation for internet, electronic and digital service providers to immediately delete such material and changes the framework so that it is not required to prove the action’s intent to intimidate/humiliate, cause harm or gain financial benefit at the expense of the victim.

He explained that the usual excuse of perpetrators who spread such material without the person’s consent is “I did it as a joke”, “I did it because I was hurt that he/she left me”, etc.

Koukoumas added that the proposal aims to protect every victim regardless of gender.

Koukoumas said that the party was satisfied that the Akel draft bill received consensus at the committee.