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THE MOTHER OF a 21-year-old woman who took her own life after a prolonged period of online abuse met with Justice Minister Helen McEntee about new legislation to address online abuse.
The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Crimes Bill of 2017 covers a wide range of crimes, including online abuse, cyberbullying, and image-based abuse.
Jackie Fox is the mother of Nicole ‘Coco’ Fox Fenlon, who took her own life in 2018 after a period of prolonged abuse online.
Fox met with the Justice Minister this afternoon to name the law ‘Coco’s law’ in memory of his daughter.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Jackie Fox said the minister had heard the story of what happened to Nicole.
He said that after being told multiple times that the new laws would be named after his daughter, he learned on December 3 that that would not be the case.
The Minister and her adviser then explained that the advice of the Attorney General is that including Coco’s name in any way in the title of the new bill may influence juries in cases other than those of Coco’s experiences of harassment and intimidation. both online and offline.
“I did not agree with the minister on this point, but I accept that at this time, and so close to the promulgation of the bill, there is little room to campaign on this particular issue.”
Jackie Fox said the minister promised to find other ways to remember Nicole.
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“The minister, at the meeting, made two proposals regarding how Coco’s memory can be preserved and how her story can be enshrined in the memory of the people of Ireland as a means to combat bullying, harassment and intimidation online, ”Fox said.
“First, the minister and her advisers proposed attaching a memorandum to the new legislation that refers to Coco, her story and the campaign that the legislation has sparked. The wording of the memorandum will clearly indicate that the bill on harassment, harmful communications and related crimes will also be known as the Coco Law, ”he said.
Second, the Minister proposed the funding of an educational medium through which young people can be informed about bullying and bullying online and I currently understand that that means a kind of educational base.
My campaign colleague sought the Minister’s commitment around a meeting to finalize both proposals in the following two days. That commitment was fulfilled and today we have formally requested a meeting through the Department of Justice.
Jackie Fox thanked the minister and her team, as well as Labor’s Brendan Howlin for previous work on drafting the legislation, for their support.
Need help? Support is available:
- Conscious – 1800 80 48 48 (depression, anxiety)
- Samaritans – 116123 or email [email protected]
- Pieta House – 1800 247 247 or email [email protected] (suicide, self harm)
- Teen-Line Ireland – 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 18)
- Childline – 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
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