The parliamentary justice committee will vote in two week's time on a bill proposed by MP Vanessa Matz that penalises "revenge porn."
It concerns the circulation of sexually explicit content without the consent of the person appearing in it, for the purpose of revenge.
Harassment crime based on this practice, with sometimes tragic consequences, is frequently in the news. However, such cases are legally complex and the bill's wording was on Wednesday the subject of numerous amendments and practical observations.
The bill is based on the incrimination of voyeurism by the addition of an aggravating circumstance when such images are circulated with malicious intent or involve an economic interest. It contains a procedure to remove or hide images through an extremely urgent referral to the President of the Court of First Instance.
The author, broadcaster of the photographs or telecom operator involved would then be allowed six hours to withdraw or hide the content.
Another process would involve the crown prosecutor, who can, in any case, ask for images of a terrorist nature or of child abuse to be withdrawn.
The Brussels Times
