A Tory minister has been accused of ‘victim blaming’ after suggesting the safest way to avoid so-called revenge porn is to “not be sharing intimate pictures.”
Education Secretary Damian Hinds made the remark as he unveiled a review of the law surrounding online sex crimes
His comments were criticised by Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse, who said the government’s message should be that “any sharing of intimate images without consent is wrong.”
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Hinds said: “When we talk about sexting, the sharing of intimate pictures, one of the things that we are covering in our new guidance, online safety guidance that goes out to schools today, which sort of merges relationships education with the computing curriculum, we’re covering the sharing of intimate pictures.
“Making sure that kids know that actually if you let a picture of yourself naked or semi-naked go, even to somebody you may think loves you and it’s safe, you can’t predict what’s going to happen to that picture afterwards.
“The safest way to be is not to be sharing intimate pictures.”
Ms Hobhouse, who has campaigned for victims of revenge porn to be granted legal anonymity, said: “It is of course important to educate young people about the sharing of intimate pictures.
“But the message must be that any sharing of intimate images without consent is wrong.
“We must not blame the victim when it happens, but protect them by law.”
The new study comes just four years after sharing explicit photos of ex-partners was made a specific crime by the Tory government.
People who share sexual photos or videos of former partners without their consent, to embarrass or distress them, have faced two-year jail sentences since 2015.
But ‘revenge porn’ is still classed as a ‘communications offence’ rather than a sexual crime.
