Women’s Aid responds to the early release of TV personality, Stephen Bear

Women’s Aid spokeswoman comments:

“Following today’s news of the release of Stephen Bear, only 11 months into his sentence, our thoughts are with Georgia Harrison and other survivors affected by image-based sexual abuse crimes like so-called ‘revenge porn’. From our work with survivors, we know that violence against women not being taken seriously is one of the main reasons preventing many from reporting the crimes to police. Seeing perpetrators being released from sentences early, in this instance serving under a year, also has an impact on women coming forward in the future. With trust in the criminal justice system already dangerously low, we need to ensure women feel both safe from abusers and that they can see the justice system understanding the severity of the crime committed. Short sentences leave too many women thinking, ‘what is the point of going through a trial for that?’. So-called ‘revenge porn’ has a devastating effect on a survivor’s sense of autonomy and privacy, as well as a long-lasting impact on their mental health, and the criminal justice system needs to reflect this.”