Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Conclusion 21
4th Report – Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse
Published 5 Mar 2025
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Cases have been drawn to our attention where, at the end of the criminal justice process, perpetrators have had the devices containing the NCII content returned to them—even in cases where the perpetrator has been 55 served with a restraining order. It is needless for us to say how harrowing that must be for the victims of these crimes. It is staggering that the criminal justice system has allowed this to occur. The measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to make clear that perpetrators found guilty of the new offence of taking NCII can be deprived of that content are very welcome. However, they may not address concerns that people found guilty of sharing that content are not being deprived of the material. (Conclusion, Paragraph 109)
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 4th Report – Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse (HC 336), 5 March 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 May 2025 (deadline 5 May 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government gives a mixed response, rejecting a majority of the recommendations while accepting some in full or in part and pointing to existing provisions and the forthcoming VAWG Strategy.
- On the Revenge Porn Helpline, it records "Partial acceptance" and is providing £300,000 for 2025/26 (up from £210,000), with funding beyond that "determined through the Spring Spending Review".
- It rejects bringing online sexual offences and NCII within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, saying this would "fundamentally alter the purpose of the Scheme".
- It rejects a statutory civil process, citing "little evidence" about the British Columbia model and overlap with existing routes, but says it "will consider this further" in developing the VAWG Strategy.
- It accepts the recommendation on nudification apps, saying it is "actively looking at options" and "will update the Committee on this in due course".