Women’s Aid responds to new CNN investigation exposing online ‘Rape Academy’

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, comments:

“CNN’s exposure of a global ‘online rape academy’ has made for extremely uncomfortable and sad reading. The scale of the problem revealed by the investigation is staggering and it is terrifying to see just how many women are being exploited and assaulted by their partners, without their knowledge. Having worked with the extraordinary Gisèle Pelicot, as well as countless survivors of domestic abuse across the country, we know firsthand just how insidious and isolating intimate partner abuse is. The courage of these women to speak up and show survivors they are not alone is extraordinary and has shown clearly the scale of this horrific crime, made more so as it is perpetrated by the person who is supposed to love and care for you the most. Shame must change sides and perpetrators of these crimes must be held to account.  

“Governments must keep up and regulate, while technology companies must do more – they have a responsibility for the content that they host. They must play a key role in preventing and tackling VAWG in the online space, so that the men committing these crimes face justice and the women are kept safe from further harm.”