The goal, according to Giorgos Koukoumas, is to include men in the provisions of the law, as well as to remove the condition for proof of intent in publishing photos.
A law proposal submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs by Giorgos Koukoumas on behalf of AKEL, as explained by the Member of Parliament, is aimed at dealing with the phenomenon of the publication of images of sexual content without consent. Besides, in his statements after the meeting of the Committee, he mentioned that the phenomenon of non-consensual use of personal images of erotic and/or sexual content is gaining enormous proportions, internationally and also in Cyprus, noting that in the period 2017-2022 the Police received 65 complaints.
During the discussion of the proposal in the Committee, Mr. Koukoumas explained that a disparity was found in the way men are treated by the law, in relation to the way women and children are treated, with regard to such crimes. Female victims are covered by the law on violence against women as it has emerged under the Istanbul Convention, and children are covered by legislation specifically for minors, while there was no provision for male victims.
The goal, as Mr. Koukoumas said, is to include men in the provisions of the law, as well as to eliminate the condition for proof of intent in the publication of photos and to immediately block access to such material, as soon as it is established that personal images have been illegally published sexual content.
During the presentation of the proposal, the rapporteur also noted that it is proposed that the fact that the victim is a woman be considered an aggravating factor. The AKEL Member of Parliament explained that this provision results from the fact that statistics show that 90% of the victims are women and from the fact that the consequences are disproportionately large when the victim is a woman, due to the prevailing social perceptions.
It was also suggested not to mention the term revenge pornography, clarifying that in such cases it is neither pornographic material, nor a reaction with vengeful motives.
The positive attitude of the Ministry of Justice was expressed during the meeting by a representative of the Ministry, as it is a serious, existing problem. The law on personal data does not become so effective in these cases, as stated, There is an obligation for the Police to act in the protection of vulnerable persons, it was further said. He noted, however, that the punishment for women should be heavier, otherwise the value of the law on the abuse of women would be neutralized.
In his statements after the meeting, Mr. Koukoumas said that the positions of the competent Ministry of Justice and the Legal Service, as well as the Cyprus Bar Association, were very positive and constructive. "The legal technical processing is progressing and with the observations of the bodies that were present today, we hope that very soon we will be able to vote on it," he added.
He also pointed out that it is a phenomenon that results in the social and psychological collapse and social extermination of the victim, stating that it is no coincidence that this crime is called cyber-rape.