Local MP, Maggie Throup, has given her backing to a Parliamentary petition established by a young Erewash resident calling on the Government to criminalise the distribution of unsolicited sexual images commonly referred to as ‘nudes’.
This follows shocking statistics which show that 41 per cent of women aged between 18 and 36 have reportedly received non-consensual sexual images.
Speaking about the campaign, Maggie commented: “I am delighted to back this campaign, which has been set up by a brave young woman living in Erewash, following her own her own personal experience of receiving unsolicited sexual images.
“In recent years, the Government has made significant progress in this area, banning the abhorrent practice of ‘upskirting’ through the passage of the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 and ‘revenge porn’ through the Criminal Justice and Courts Act in 2015, and has made a commitment in this year’s Queen’s Speech to publish new strategies to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls and Domestic Abuse.
“Whilst these developments are to be welcomed, in an age where more people are now making contact online with people they do not necessarily know, it is important that Parliament continues to update the law to reflect the potential threats that this type of interaction poses.
“The forthcoming Online Harms Bill provides us with a golden opportunity to close the gaps and I have already held discussions with the Home Secretary about how a ban on these types of unsolicited images could be included in the legislation.”
To view and sign the petition, please visit this link.