Boris Johnson Must Tackle ‘Damaging And Growing’ Image-Based Domestic Abuse

The shutdown of parliament cannot be used to sweep aside long-awaited plans to update domestic abuse law, Boris Johnson has been warned. 

Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird has written to the PM demanding the “landmark” domestic abuse bill pioneered by Theresa May is not scrapped when he sets out a new domestic agenda in October. 

She has also urged the government to use the opportunity to clampdown on the “extremely damaging and growing incidence” of image-based abuse – also known as ‘revenge porn’ – where perpetrators use the possibility of publicly releasing intimate photos and videos to threaten their partner. 

Baird told HuffPost UK: “This bill give us an opportunity to tackle the extremely damaging and growing incidence of image-based abuse as a weapon in domestic violence. 

“Women are further controlled from attempting to leave coercive relationships by the threat that a photograph either stolen while she’s unaware or taken in an intimate moment will be sent to her children, her parents and everyone who knows her if she makes a move. 

“This is an increasing feature of domestic abuse and it is not unlawful to make such an appalling threat. Now is our chance to legislate and make it a crime.” 

The bill has wide cross-party support among MPs and strong backing from victims and charities, says Baird in her letter. 

It is the “result of years of work with MPs, charities, survivors, and those working with abuse victims in frontline services”, she writes.

But fears are mounting that the domestic abuse bill may not survive intact or, as a general election seems imminent, that the concerns of victims could fall by the wayside.