Women’s Refuge applauds today’s landmark court ruling which gives ACC-funded support to a woman who experienced sexual violation by the sharing of sexual films of her without consent. Her case was previously declined after she sought cover for the post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of discovering her ex-partner had shared a sex video to one of the largest porn sites in the world.

Dr Ang Jury, CEO, Women’s Refuge says:

“We are in awe of the brave young woman who took on a hostile system and fought for herself and other young women to have the same access to support that other victim have. That takes tenacity and perseverance.”

Women’s Refuge has campaigned for years to have image-based sexual abuse included in the list of sexual offences that quality victims for ACC-funded support. Previously, this list of offences often included in-person assaults – leaving out a huge scope of sexual harm experienced by young women.

Of women accessing Women’s Refuge for support for family violence, 13.5 percent have experienced a partner sharing (or threatening to share) their sexual experiences online. Many are unaware that their partners have sexual images or videos of them until they are shared, while others consented to their partners having those images but not to them being shared.

“This is a huge step forward but there is an urgent need for a look at a whole range of legislation given the rapid advance of technology. Perpetrators are evolving their abuse tactics to utilise technology, and the laws that protect victims must evolve as well.”

ENDS

https://womensrefuge.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NCIWR-submission-on-the-HDCA-Amendment-Bill.pdf

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