A Bethlehem San Roman Her ex-partner blackmailed her. She viralized intimate photos of her. She couldn’t stand the pressure or exposure and tried to commit suicide. It shot itself With his service weapon, he was an agent of the Bragado Rural Patrol Command. A few days later, in December 2020, died.
Like Bethlehem, many women suffer gender violence in digital environments. Open WhatsApp and find that someone sent you – without your authorization – a photo of their genitals or that someone published intimate photos of you without you having proven it They are forms of gender violence.
In 2023 the Olympia Law, which precisely incorporated violence against women and dissidence in digital environments into Law 26,485, the Law on Comprehensive Protection of Women, as a form of gender violence.
Studies show that this type of violence is becoming more frequent. One carried out by Amnesty International showed that 1 in 3 women suffered violence on social networks; what 7 out of 10 women implemented changes to the way you use the platforms.
“We already have the Olympia Law“explains Eliana Grandier, graduate in Social Communication, graduate in Gender and Public Policies and member of the Gentic organization, “Now it is necessary for Justice to punish digital violence”. For this, different social organizations are promoting the Belén Law, in honor of Belén San Román, so that the crime of Digital violence is incorporated into the Argentine Penal Code.
“When we actually have the Bethlehem Law, the judges will have a legal tool that penalizes these violent practicess, that understands digital gender violence as a crime and that penalties are carried out accordingly,” explains Eliana Grandier.
The project establishes the creation of 6 new crimes like sextortion; the non-consensual obtaining of sexual, intimate or nudity material or the non-consensual dissemination of pornographic montages made with artificial intelligence. Also incorporates – depending on the crime – penas of financial fines or years in prison.
“These penalties – if the law is approved – could apply to any type of digital violence“, explains Grandier, “but when we pressed the project we did it thinking in women and dissidents because statistics show that we are the biggest victims of this type of violence. For this reason, the text contemplates certain taxes when they are exercised against women and dissidents.”
And continues: “beyond punitivism On these practices we need to work on the prevention of this violence. That is why we develop the Olympia Law, sanctioned in November of last year. Where are they raised? preventive practicesprotection and support measures, training and good practices.”
In Congress There were several projects presenteds that they sought to create figures similar to the project of Bethlehem Law. But, only two had a half sanction and did not advance definitively. This week social organizations that promoted the Olympia Law They re-presented the project in Congress. “It is extremely important that it be approved this year, because this practice is increasing with the current political problems”, says Eliana Grandier.
The Belén Law project proposes the creation of 6 crimes:
-Non-consensual receipt of digital sexual material
-Sextortion: extortion with threat of exposure of intimate material
-Non-consensual obtaining of sexual, intimate or nudity material
-Non-consensual dissemination of intimate material and its forwarding
-Porn deep fakes