Responding to new measures to tackle pornography and image abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill, Ellie Butt, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Refuge, said:
“Refuge welcomes amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which will enhance protections for women and girls by introducing new laws around violent pornography and intimate image abuse. Technology plays an immeasurable role in both influencing and facilitating violence against women and girls. At Refuge alone, we saw a 205% increase in referrals to our dedicated Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment Team between 2018 and 2024.
Refuge is pleased that the Government is taking forward plans to criminalise the possession or publication of depictions of strangulation or suffocation in pornography. Across the internet, violent and misogynistic pornography is pervasive. Not only is this distorting how young people understand sex and relationships, but it also contributes to a culture in which violence against women and girls (VAWG) is normalised – and even eroticised.
No one should grow up thinking that violence against women is a normal or expected part of sexual behaviour. Regulation of this content is a vital step towards combatting culturally embedded forms of misogyny and VAWG. It is critical that the proposed duties on platforms to prevent this harmful content from proliferating are properly enforced, and that Ofcom uses its full suite of powers to ensure platforms are held accountable if they fail to comply.
Refuge also welcomes the extension to the six-month time limit on prosecuting intimate image abuse. This means that perpetrators who take or share an intimate image without consent can now be prosecuted within three years of the offence, giving survivors critical time to process the abuse and report it if and when they are ready.
While these measures are a welcome step forward, more is needed. As it stands, police do not have the capacity, training, or resources to effectively respond to intimate image abuse. Despite it having been a crime to share intimate images without consent since 2015, survivors have continued to tell Refuge that police are not treating reports with sufficient seriousness.
These changes must be backed by trauma-informed training on intimate image abuse across police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure these crimes are investigated and prosecuted effectively and consistently. On top of this, the Government must make tackling online VAWG and tech-facilitated abuse a key part of its upcoming VAWG strategy, supported by sustainable funding for the specialist services that provide lifesaving support to those who need it most.”
