Coco's Law signed into law by President Higgins

A bill aiming to tackle online bullying has been signed into law by the President.

The sharing of intimate images without consent is now illegal, and if someone is found guilty of the crime they will face an unlimited fine and/or up to seven years imprisonment.

The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill- is widely known as Coco's Law, after 21-year-old Nicole Fox, who died by suicide following a prolonged period of online abuse in 2018.

Her mother Jackie campaigned for this new law, and believes it will make people realise the seriousness of the issue.

"If I had this law in place, maybe I could have had Nicole here with me today.

"I'm hoping that the courts will make examples of people, to let them know that they're serious, and that they can't continue destroying people's lives the way they've done, or even worse - making someone feel like they can't live past another day."

 

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