A woman whose stalker ex-partner leaked intimate photos of her online has welcomed changes to Government legislation, but said: "We still have a long way to go." After a new amendment to the Online Safety Bill, the Ministry of Justice announced last week prosecutors will no longer have to prove intimate and explicit images had been leaked with intent to cause distress.
In 2019, a judge at Basildon Crown Court found him guilty of stalking causing serious alarm or distress, including an offence for disclosing private sexual content, relating to naked images. He is also subject to a restraining order - which is valid for another six years.Karolina says the crime nearly led her to taking her own life - and she was 'heartbroken' to have to prove it in court.
"I was told by a barrister I’d have to talk through my victim statement in court to prove the Instagram account was damaging to me. I thought it was just a given. It's such a horrible crime, I don’t think victims should have to go the extra mile to prove how horrible it was. To be told I’d need to talk through the effect it had on me in court was really, really heartbreaking.
Despite the recent change, Karolina believes there is still a long way to go until victims feel heard. She added: "When I called the police about what had happened to me - I didn’t even realise it was a crime. It was just a last resort. I was told I could block the account, but they couldn’t do anything to get it taken down.