The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco's law is an act of the Oireachtas dealing with non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images and cyberbullying.[1]
The legislation was originally introduced by Brendan Howlin in 2017.[1]
In 2020 three Jackie Fox, Mary Sheehan and Aisling O'Neil and the March for Justice Ireland group presented a petition with 33,000 signatures to Brendan Howlin and James Lawless calling for the criminalisation of cyberbullying.[2]
Jackie Fox spoke of her daughter Nicole 'Coco' Fox who was subjected to cyberbullying from age 17, which included threats.[2] Nicole died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 21.[2] Mary Sheehan spoke of her daughter Kayleigh Ryan who died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 14 after suffering cyberbullying.[2] Aisling O'Neil spoke of her daughter Mia who was subjected to racist cyberbullying and who died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 19.[2]
The bill would be reintroduced into the committee stage the following day.[2]
Two new offences were created:
It is irrelevant if a person consented to the taking of an image if they did not consent to it being later being distributed.[3]
It is an aggravating factor for sentencing if the perpetrator was in an intimate relationship with the victim.[3]
The bill came into effect in 2021.[4]
By September 2024 nearly 100 prosecutions had been taken under the act.[4]