7 News Belize

Getting Legal Reform For Revenge Porn
posted (February 25, 2019)
Last week, we told you about the high school student whose life was turned upside down after someone began circulating a video of her performing oral sex in her school uniform.

It focuses national attention on an issue that is increasingly plaguing society. Belizean women and girls are being exposed by persons engaging in what is called revenge porn.

Well, Audrey Matura has started a movement called SASEA, or Stand Against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. She and other concerned citizens want to discourage the public from continuing the embarrassment of these exposed women by publicly circulating private images and videos.

She and others organized a demonstration in front of Wesley High School today, and we stopped by to see how it went. Here's what she and those who stand in solidarity with her message had to say today:

Audrey Matura, Organizer
"Well like I said it's a solidarity demonstration. It's supposed to be positive. It supposed to make the students of this institution know that we support them, especially the young lady that has been victimized by some ruthless person or persons and it's a way also to applaud the institution for having taken a different approach. So we want to demonstrate that we are grateful and that this is a good conversation point for us to start the wider conversation, because what we are dealing with here today is nothing new. It has happened before in different forms and we remained silent and the people, I believe that are in authority that hold high offices that can influence can change legislation, can put the budget that we need, can make the difference are not saying anything, so I'm hoping that by instigating and being the catalyst that there will be other involvement. It doesn't have to be me. I have preferred to just be quite and go away on retirement, but clearly, a lot of talking and no action and I think sometimes` you have to be in their face to let them know you've made commitments, you have the power, you have the resources of this country and you need to act. We are signing a petition that deals with 2 issues. There is a convention on the right of the child article 34 specifically deals with pornography and sexual exploitation of children. The government already signed and ratify those things. They need to keep on doing the domestic legislation, programs, budgeting - whatever they need to curb that. The second one is that we also signed the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and in that there is A-G all the points of what the government should be doing. One of them is to ensure that private institutions can't victimized you as women."

Shakera Young, Concerned Citizen
"I came out here to sign on and support the movement that they are doing to show equality when it comes to the cyberbullying that we should stand up against what is happening and we should say no. That when a video is posted that we immediately delete the video and we don't circulate it, because it hurts people."

"I feel that its revenge and it just people trying to get attention and its very unfortunate that that is what is happening with our men now. With the fatherless homes that we have, could you expect any better?"

Arthur Roy Williams, Concerned Citizen
"I am the father of one daughter. My daughter is already an adult and in my humble view I wouldn't want my daughter to be exposed. What you have in private should be private and not public, so I am totally against those types of events and that's why I am here also. What happened is that men, we are losing our manhood. What happened is that we should revenge people in that manner. It hurts and I hope that the person who did it should move back to where he began and consider himself because that's not being manhood and if he has a daughter I hope that he finds it in his heart to apologize and say I am sorry for what I did."

River of Fire, Concerned Citizen
"We all need to learn that the camera today is not only an eye to you, but it's an eye to the world. This thing with taking a pic for your friend, no. You can't do that, because it's not only your friend will see it, anybody can see it and we need to understand that. for someone exposing somebody's picture that they didn't have permission to exposed and someone who they could not get their permission to expose it because of their age - they're wrong."

But, while the circulation of nude pictures and videos are a big part of the problem, another important issue is the origin of these items.

If you're an adult who is connected in this technological age, you'll know all about the term "sexting". That's where two persons privately share intimate messages with the understanding that they should remain private.

We asked Matura for her thoughts on what has become a kind of cultural norm for the younger folks, and the danger it poses if someone breaks that trust:

Reporter
"We are also dealing with a culture here of sexting. People are adults and make decisions you may not approved of those decisions, but sexting is a big problem that is involved with this revenged porn thing."

Audrey Matura, Organizer
"Fine and that is why you as an adult you have the right to privacy. The constitution guarantees that. Privately do that. If someone then exploits that and pushes it in your face and use it against you. There are 2 instances already in the Caribbean where it had already been dealt with. In Trinidad there was a case where a famous cricket player did that to his ex-girlfriend sent out all the text messages and stuff. She went to court and she won and Grenada passed legislation and they are actually in court now with the first case in which they are going to be using this cyber legislation to prosecute their first person for issuing the nudes of his former girlfriend. So I understand what you are saying that it's a culture, but let me tell you what is optimistic to me. The fact that I saw young men from one of the most influential institution of education come out here to lend support. That's how we change culture by us bringing our young people to be involved. Not to pretend it never happened. I know the naysayers are I shouldn't have done this event; you are bringing attention. Yes, bring attention, but attention you can create it into something positive where you make young people say it's okay for us to have this conversation. It's okay for us to talk about this, because whether we talk about it not, it's happening. So let's stop pretend it's not happening. Let's address it head on."

As you heard, Matura intends to launch a petition to bring public pressure on the government to address this issue of cyber bulling. You'll remember that Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte said last week that his Ministry is diligently working on bringing legislation to criminalize the occurrence of revenge porn.

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