The time to stand up for our children is long past: Goertzen
Manitoba PC Education Critic, Kelvin Goertzen, says he supports efforts to include stand-alone sanctions in the Criminal Code of Canada for sharing intimate images of individuals without consent as a means to combat cyber-bullying.
“We have seen too many cases where, particularly young, people are bullied online through the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images,” said Goertzen. “This type of cyber-bullying is devastating to the victim and stronger measures must be in place to act as both a deterrent and a punishment.”
Goertzen noted that Premier Brad Wall has, today, called for an emergency debate in the Saskatchewan Legislature to call for changes that would make the distribution of intimate images without consent online a stand-alone Criminal Code offence.
“Not enough is being done to protect kids in our schools from bullying in general and from cyber-bullying in particular,” said Goertzen. “Just as the distribution of child pornography is a devastating act that deserves Criminal Code sanctions so does the distribution without consent of intimate images.”
In addition Goertzen wants to see stronger anti-bullying measures put into place provincially, noting that the current NDP anti-bullying bill before the Legislature is the weakest in North America.
