Revenge porn on the rise
The case of TV presenter Stathis Panagiotopoulos, who allegedly leaked sexually explicit videos and photos of his ex-partner, sparking public indignation and his own sacking as one of the hosts of the hugely popular “Radio Arvyla” show on Monday, reflects the growing trend of revenge porn.
According to the International Journal of Cyber Criminology, revenge porn is when someone, usually an ex-partner, posts a photo or video depicting someone’s sex life without their consent. It is usually unknown who has posted the photos or videos on the internet, a point which can raise difficulties when it comes to prosecution.
Data seen by Kathimerini from the police cybercrime unit, the Hellenic Center for Safer Internet Navigation (Safeline) and the Data Protection Authority reveal there were 13 cases in 2021 alone of revenge porn in Greece. Of those 13 cases, eight involved adults and five depicted minors. The number of such incidents were at a correspondingly high level last year as well. The cybercrime unit only began registering revenge porn cases in 2020.
At the same time the number of complaints filed about the publication of sexually explicit material on the internet without consent showed a dramatic increase of 66% this year compared to 2020, according to Safeline. Around 30% of the perpetrators of these allegations proceed to blackmail the victims.
Due to the increase of such phenomena, the Data Protection Authority is already conducting investigations into reported incidents and is reportedly targeting the case concerning Panagiotopoulos.
