Barrister calls for end to use of term ‘revenge porn’

Grace Gwynne

Grace Gwynne, family and personal injury barrister at No5 Barristers’ Chambers, said the term should be changed to end the stigma victims face.

She said: “There are better terms that should be widely adopted both within the legal profession and with the public to stop the inference of victim blaming.

“Image or video-based abuse are more accurate terms to what sufferers’ experience. In cases where the content has been shared over the internet, the term online abuse is more fitting.”

She added: “From my case experience, perpetrators of this crime have been people who have exited a relationship and then proceeded to share graphic content with the calculated intent of humiliating their ex-partner.

“Between April 2020 and June 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service charged 1,048 image-based abuse offences across 825 cases and yet in 2018-2021, 18,700 incidents were reported to police.”

“No crime in the UK should infer that the victim is to blame in its title. By making a small change to image-based abuse, we can help reduce the stigma that many face when taking their abuser to court to hold them accountable for their crimes. It’s a simple change that can help positively impact an incredibly large issue in people’s lives.”