Tech firms need to be asked why image-based sexual abuse is 'more widespread'

Corrinne Hasson from the National Women’s Council told Oireachtas members that recent reports about UCD’s 'mishandling of a medical student’s case involving rape and image-based sexual abuse' were among the most 'harrowing stories to date'. Picture: Maxwells

Tech companies need to be held accountable over image-based sexual abuse, which is becoming “more widespread” and “really damaging” for young women, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The Higher Education Committee heard from several organisations across the country that university policies and practices need to change and that students need greater clarity.

The committee was told abuse is becoming much more widespread with advances in technology, “especially for young women looking to even enter education".

Corrinne Hasson from the National Women’s Council told Oireachtas members that recent reports about UCD’s “mishandling of a medical student’s case involving rape and image-based sexual abuse” were among the most “harrowing stories to date".

“[This] was facilitated through email and WhatsApp,” Ms Hasson said. “They are not really complicated systems, so it is very, very hard to target down.” 

“We need to have improved guidance policies and better training for colleges regarding image-based abuse,” she said.

Ms Hasson said that while Coco’s Law has been “brilliant”, emerging forms of technology-facilitated sexual violence in higher education, such as deepfake pornography, AI-generated sexual imagery and co-ordinated online misogynistic abuse, “require more explicit policies and legislation”.

“What we’re asking for is for tech companies to be called in, to be asked and to really be scrutinised in terms of how they’re facilitating this really large spread of sexual violence on young women, mostly across our [higher education institutions],” she added.

Training for university staff

Meanwhile, the committee also heard that university staff members are often the first point of contact for students disclosing sexual assault and therefore need to be prioritised and included in any action plans.

“A staff member may experience harassment or violence. A staff member may receive a disclosure from a student, may be asked to provide support, may be a witness, or may be the subject of an allegation,” Joanne Irwin, from the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), said.

“Each situation requires clarity, fair procedures, natural justice, confidentiality and appropriate supports,” she added.

The committee heard that prevention must be central to policies and procedures, and that a culture in which sexual violence and other inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated needs to be built.

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This would require regular mandatory training, relevant education and training for all staff and students, and fair, transparent and consistent procedures.

The TUI also warned that policies set up by universities “will fail if institutions expect already overstretched staff to take on complex disclosures or investigatory responsibilities without the time, training, and support".

Calls were also made for higher education institutions to release information on how much they spend on external investigators and barristers after reports of sexual assault are made.

The committee also heard calls for a centralised body of external investigators to be established.