Two in five revenge porn cases reported to police in South Yorkshire are dropped by victims

More than two in five revenge porn cases reported to South Yorkshire Police are dropped by victims despite a suspect being identified, figures reveal.
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The offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress – so-called “revenge porn” – came into force in April 2015 and carries a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment in England and Wales.

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Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal South Yorkshire Police recorded 751 revenge porn crimes between 2018 and 2021.

More than two in five revenge porn cases reported to South Yorkshire police are dropped by victims despite a suspect being identified, figures reveal.More than two in five revenge porn cases reported to South Yorkshire police are dropped by victims despite a suspect being identified, figures reveal.
More than two in five revenge porn cases reported to South Yorkshire police are dropped by victims despite a suspect being identified, figures reveal.
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Of those, at least 316 (42.1 per cent) were closed because the alleged victim did not support further police action despite a suspect being identified.

A further 47 (6.3 per cent) with no clear suspect were also dropped by victims, meaning at least 48.3 per cent saw complainants withdraw their support for investigation over nearly seven years.

Refuge CEO Ruth Davison said survivors may decide not to support further police action for many reasons.

“It's very rare for threat or sharing of intimate images to happen in isolation without other forms of domestic abuse,” she said.

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“Our Naked Threat research found that 72 per cent of women who have experienced threats to share were threatened by a current or former partner – and for the vast majority of these women, this isn't the only way they are abused.”

Ms Davison said many victims will be under pressure from perpetrators not to support police action for fear of what they will do to them.

Nationally, only around six per cent of revenge porn crimes resulted in a suspect being charged or summoned to court between 2015 and 2021 – in South Yorkshire, the figure was at least 5.7 per cent between 2018 and the end of 2021.

Sophie Mortimer, manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline, a dedicated service helping adult victims, said another key reason behind victims dropping revenge porn cases is that their anonymity is not guaranteed.

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She said: “Although media outlets rarely name victims, the possibility of being outed in their local communities is too much to contemplate.

“Victims of intimate image abuse are feeling incredibly exposed, violated and humiliated and the prospect of a potentially bruising criminal justice process that may drag on for months just isn’t acceptable.”

Revenge porn crimes peaked last year at South Yorkshire Police, when they recorded 211 offences. This was up from 179 in 2020.

Across England and Wales, at least 28,201 offences were recorded between 2015 and 2021 – though data for four other forces also did not cover the whole period.

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Some 7,357 offences were recorded by the 38 forces last year – a 39 per cent jump from 5,291 in 2020.

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley, lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: “We recognise that going through the criminal justice system can be very stressful for victims, leading to some victims withdrawing from the process. We are working closely with partners throughout the system to ensure that victims have the confidence to report crimes and that they receive appropriate support at every stage.”