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Hundreds of young women sexually harassed online told to get evidence, know rights
View(s):By Minaza Hassan
A notable rise in online sexual harassment complaints has been recorded during the past few months, according to the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT).
Between January and August this year, CERT has received more than 700 online sexual harassment complaints, particularly in August, CERT’s Lead Information Security Engineer Charuka Damunupola said.
There has also been an increase in cases involving AI-manipulated images, which are sometimes used for extortion or blackmail, he noted.
In CERT records, sexual harassment is an umbrella term that covers complaints such as non-consensual intimate image sharing, revenge pornography, AI-generated deep-fake content and other forms of online sexual abuse.
Women aged 25 to 34 years are the most affected, indicating their vulnerability to gender-based violence online.
Survivors who discover manipulated or explicit content of themselves online are urged to report it promptly, as early intervention enables faster coordination with law enforcement and online platforms for content removal and investigation, Mr Damunupola said.
Many cases of online sexual harassment involve intimate partners or former partners who threaten to release sensitive images or videos when relationships end.
Mr Damunupola said that in most instances, victims contact CERT and do not pursue legal action, as they want to have the content removed as discreetly as possible.
When explicit content is shared publicly, such as on pornographic websites, CERT can intervene to request removal, he added.
However, much of the reported harassment now occurs on private messaging platforms like WhatsApp, where images and videos are circulated within closed groups, and this makes tracing or removing such material especially challenging, as there is often no specific URL or public source to act upon, Mr Damunupola explained.
In these cases, victims are advised to file a formal complaint, which allows CERT to assist in taking down content after collecting evidence, such as screenshots provided by the survivor, the cybersecurity expert said, adding that details about the recipient of the images or videos can help authorities to identify a potential perpetrator and provide police with a starting point for investigation.
However, if the victim does not know who originally received or shared the content, it becomes significantly harder to trace the source and hold the responsible party accountable, he said.
When these violations occur, law enforcement gets involved sometimes, and the perpetrator is summoned to the station, and the legal consequences of failing to remove the material are explained.
CERT’s role is mainly technical assistance. For instance, if explicit content is published on pornographic or adult websites, CERT can request its removal.
These platforms are generally responsive, often taking action within 24 hours, and international cooperation is possible through CERT teams from other countries and reporting mechanisms as well, Mr Damunupola said.
Under the Obscene Publications Amendment Act of 1983, it is illegal to produce, possess, import, export, distribute, or publicly display any obscene materials, Police Spokesman F. U. Wootler said.
Furthermore, Section 286A of the Penal Code prohibits obscene production, distribution and exhibition in relation to minors.
The spokesman said several directives have been issued through police media and the website to address these issues and especially to ensure that children are taken care of.
However, these incidents continue to occur in society, and the ultimate objective of the police is to minimise them, he said.
While laws and reporting mechanisms play a crucial role in addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), survivors often struggle to navigate complex legal systems or even understand what protections exist for them, said Shevindri Manuel, human rights lawyer and programme manager at iProbono, a social justice organisation.
Recognising this gap, iProbono, in partnership with the Emerge Lanka Foundation, developed the ‘Empowerment Toolkit’ for young women, including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, to better understand their legal rights and the steps they can take to seek justice, Ms Manuel said. This learning tool is available in all local languages.
She said the team adopted legal design methodologies that tailor information to the needs and experiences of young women with limited educational backgrounds and little prior knowledge of their rights.
Many of the young women are afraid of the legal system because they don’t understand it, she said.
“We wanted to demystify it to show that the law is there to protect them,” Ms Manuel said.
Through this approach, the toolkit not only builds awareness of rights but also helps young women feel more confident navigating the justice system, from understanding court etiquette to knowing what to expect during proceedings, she added.
The toolkit serves as a standalone guide that provides knowledge and reassurance in a format that anyone can access independently, Ms Manuel said.
Referring to legal gaps in Sri Lanka’s legal system, especially in relation to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, or TFGBV, she pointed to stigma and victim-blaming as major barriers.
“When survivors go to report, they’re often met with questions like, ‘Why did you send this picture?’ or ‘Why did you do that?’” Ms Manuel said, adding that it can deeply traumatise victims who are seeking help and instead are being shamed.
Although currently there are no specific laws that address deepfakes, such cases can still fall under the Online Safety Act, since a deepfake amounts to a false statement about a person.
The Act can be applied to situations involving the distribution of manipulated content or false information online, the human rights lawyer pointed out.
Furthermore, the toolkit goes into detail about online gender-based violence as well as legal remedies.
For instance, online trafficking, image-based sexual abuse, cyberbullying, grooming and sextortion are listed with descriptions as offences, and the toolkit cites the laws such as the Penal Code, Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007, Obscene Publications Ordinance No. 4 of 1947, Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2004, and the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022.
While the toolkit is already online, accessibility depends on digital literacy and smartphone use, Ms Manuel noted.
iProbono introduces the toolkit through training for rural women and community groups as well and aims to carry this programme further, Ms Manuel said.
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