Call for laws on online abuse

New laws are “urgently” needed to protect young women who are being abused, stalked and cyber-stalked by their partners and exes.

According to Women’s Aid, dating abuse — including online abuse and stalking — is now a significant issue for young women calling its helpline.

The national charity supporting women experiencing domestic abuse, has re-launched 2in2u.ie as a vital resource for young women on dating abuse, protection from online abuse and safe and sinister behaviour in relationships.

Women’s Aid director Margaret Martin said better legal protection is needed to help facilitate access to justice and safety for women being stalked online and who are abused in dating relationships.

“In our experience, the definition of harassment in law is complex and hard to prove, and rarely used to protect women who are stalked by their boyfriends or exes.

“We recommend that a specific stalking offence be introduced in Irish law, with a comprehensive but not exhaustive definition, including new forms of cyber-stalking, and that stalking be recognised as grounds for a safety order,” she said.

Ms Martin said half of all women aged between 18 and 25 killed since 1996 were killed by their boyfriends or exes, while almost 60% of women who experienced severe abuse in relationships first experienced it when they were under the age of 25.

“Young women have disclosed abuse such as their mobile phone calls and texts being monitored and social media and technology being used to stalk and control them.

“Women are also disclosing how they are bombarded with texts and calls often telling them, in explicit detail, how they will be attacked or even killed.

“Some women disclosed that their current or ex-boyfriends were stalking them on social networking sites,” said Ms Martin.