Revenge porn laws don’t work and need tightening up while police still need more training

Revenge porn laws need to be reformed and police officers need more training in the area, a victims’ support group says. 

Campaigners, like Sophie Mortimer from Revenge Porn helpline, believe that victims should be granted anonymity in the same way sexual offence victims are. 

While just under half of the police forces in England and Wales have seen double the amount of revenge porn cases than usual over the last four years, the amount of charges has fallen.

Revenge porn, made illegal in England and Wales in 2015, is the non-consensual act of sharing intimate photographs or videos of a person. 

Some recent victims have decided not to press charges in their cases because they can’t remain anonymous while others blame a lack of police support. 

Campaigners, like Sophie Mortimer from Revenge Porn helpline, believe that victims should be granted anonymity in the same way sexual offence victims are. Pictured is revenge porn murderer Harry Dhillon 

In October 2016, Alice Ruggles, 24, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend who had previously threatened to reveal intimate pictures of her online. 

Miss Ruggles was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Harry Dhillon, who slit her neck ‘from ear to ear’ after terrifying with a campaign of stalking and harassment. 

Her mother, Dr Sue Hills, believes that threatening to reveal the images should be made illegal as well so victims didn’t feel scared to seek help. 

Miss Ruggles was found by a friend who phoned police and told the operator: ‘I knew this was coming. Her ex is a psychopath.’ 

In October 2016, Alice Ruggles, 24, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend who had previously threatened to reveal intimate pictures of her online. Miss Ruggles was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Harry Dhillon, who slit her neck ‘from ear to ear’ after terrifying with a campaign of stalking and harassment

Before her murder, Miss Ruggles had made several attempts to contact police and ask for help because she was becoming more and more scared of Dhillon’s behaviour. 

Research by Suffolk University found that 95% of officers who took part in a survey in 2017 said they had never had any training in revenge porn legislation. 

According to the BBC, a joint Ministry of Justice and Home Office statement said: ‘When we engaged with victims and campaigners in designing the new law they accepted that the motive for this crime is almost always malicious, rather than sexual, which is why the law considers it a non-sexual offence.

‘We launched and continue to support the Revenge Porn helpline, which helps victims to speak with the police and to social media companies about removing the content.’

And Chief Constable Simon Bailey from the National Police Chiefs’ Council said forces ‘pursue all lines of inquiry and prosecute people where appropriate’.

‘The College of Policing has produced a briefing and training note, which all officers involved in these types of investigations can access.’