'This is disgusting': Limerick politician reports cyber-flashing to gardaí

Independent Councillor, Elisa O'Donovan: "Receiving an image like this through private message is profoundly sexual and threatening". Photo: Press 22

A Limerick politician, who was a victim of image-based sexual abuse, has reported the incident to gardaí.

Independent Councillor, Elisa O'Donovan reported the crime after she was cyber-flashed, meaning an explicit image was sent to her, via social media, without her permission.

Ms O’Donovan tweeted about the incident and shared a screenshot of the picture and conversation, edited so that the explicit nature of the image was covered.

In the screenshot, Ms O’Donovan can be seen responding to the sender and saying: “This is disgusting and sexual abuse. Don’t send unsolicited sexual images to people you do not know. I am reporting this to the Guards.” 

Ms O’Donovan also added a caption to the Tweet, in which she said: “Today was the start of my holidays and some recharge time. Unfortunately, my day started with a message sent to my phone of a picture of an erect penis. This is incredibly intrusive. Cyber-flashing is an act of sexual violence and it shouldn’t be acceptable.” 

Today was the start of my holidays and some recharge time 🧘🏼‍♀️ Unfortunately my day started with a WhatsApp message sent to my phone of a picture of an erect penis. This is incredibly intrusive. Cyberflashing is an act of sexual violence and it shouldn’t be acceptable pic.twitter.com/YlJcfloPnW

— Cllr Elisa O'Donovan (@elisaodonovan) May 1, 2021

Ms O’Donovan says she reported the incident to gardaí in Limerick’s Henry Street on Sunday, under Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, Section 45.

“I know a lot of people think I’m being too sensitive and overdramatic but I don’t think people realise how threatening this is, and it’s become so acceptable and normalised. Receiving an image like this through private message is profoundly sexual and threatening,” Ms O’Donovan said.

“Like last Saturday I received a WhatsApp message from someone I don’t know messaging me about rape and now this week it’s another man sending me a picture of his erect penis. It’s not as simple as blocking. People don’t know what my own personal history is of sexual violence is and these unsolicited messages are not acceptable behaviour,” she added.

Ms O’Donovan said she believes that it is very important that victims of cyber-flashing are aware of how they can go about reporting these crimes when they occur.

“From the messages I have received from people since I posted this, it is clear that this unsolicited explicit exposure is something many women, and young women, in particular, have been victims of,” she said adding the gardaí she spoke to were very supportive and were taking the incident very seriously.

“I think it’s very important as an elected representative this type of sexual harassment is highlighted and I encourage other women to do the same when they are subject to indecent exposure online. 

"The more we report, the less acceptable it will become and hopefully one day this sexual violence against women will stop,” Ms O’Donovan said.