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Launch of Hotline to Report Intimate Image Abuse (IIA) to Gardaí (6/9/21)

An Garda Síochána welcomes the launch of the new Department of Justice advertising campaign on 2nd September 2021 to highlight that non-consensual sharing of intimate images is unlawful. An Garda Síochána take complaints of this form of criminal activity extremely seriously and fully appreciates that the distress and alarm caused, by invasion of a persons’ privacy in this way, can be extremely damaging to the victim.

An Garda Síochána have partnered with Hotline.ie to create an online reporting facility that enables victims of intimate image abuse (IIA) to report this type of criminal activity to Gardaí, via the hotline website, while simultaneously making a IIA content removal request. Where victims request same, Gardaí will conduct a thorough criminal investigation with a view to prosecuting offenders, while Hotline will engage with the relevant service provider to seek the removal of the harmful content reported.

Frequently asked questions relating to each of these processes can found by clicking the following link: https://www.hotline.ie/what-to-report/iia/faq

An Garda Síochána wishes to re-iterate our commitment to supporting vulnerable victims of any form of sexual offending. Any person who is a victim of this criminal activity can also make a report to their local Garda Station where it will be fully investigated.

New legislation passed in the form of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, 2020 has strengthened the law in this area and created new offences which carry penalties of up to 7 years imprisonment and unlimited fines for persons engaging in this behaviour.

It is now an offence to distribute, publish or threaten to publish or distribute an intimate image of another person without their consent with intent to cause harm to, or being reckless as to whether or not harm is caused to the other person.

It is also now an offence for a person to record, distribute or publish an intimate image of another person without that other person’s consent, where that recording, distribution or publication, as the case may be, seriously interferes with that other person’s peace and privacy or causes alarm, distress, or harm to that other person.