The European Parliament calls for stronger measures against cyberbullying, following the appeal of a victim's mother for a European law.

The European Parliament has called for stronger measures against cyberbullying and online violence, after Jackie Fox reported in plenary the case of her daughter, who committed suicide after being targeted by physical and digital abuse, and called for the Irish legislation known as "Coco's law" to become European law. In brief

The European Parliament heard Jackie Fox's testimony about the cyberbullying suffered by her daughter and the subsequent campaign for the protection of children and adults.

Jackie Fox stated that, after her daughter's death, she discovered that there were no laws to protect children and adults from such attacks.

She urged the European Parliament to transform "Coco's law" into European legislation.

Roberta Metsola stated that the European Parliament will continue to defend equality and combat all forms of online and offline abuse.

In the political debate, MEPs argued that bullying and online hate do not fall under freedom of expression, but constitute a form of violence.

The European Parliament marked International Women's Day with a call to action against cyberbullying, after Jackie Fox presented in plenary her testimony about the online and offline abuse her daughter was subjected to and the campaign she subsequently led for legal change.

In her intervention, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said: "The courage of women who refuse to remain silent continues to shape our societies. The European Parliament will always stand by them, defending equality, combating all forms of online and offline abuse, and removing barriers that prevent women from fully participating in public life."

Jackie Fox reported that her daughter, described as a healthy young woman, was the target of constant physical and online abuse, which ultimately led to her suicide. After her death, she said, she discovered that there were no laws to protect children or adults from such bullying attacks. This experience motivated her to campaign for the adoption in Ireland of the legislation known as "Coco's law" against cyberbullying.

The central message conveyed in Parliament was that such a framework should be extended at the Union level. Jackie Fox urged the European Parliament to transform this legislation into European law, to protect all children and adults from similar abuses.

The debate continued with a round of political interventions in which MEPs linked the fight against cyberbullying to the defense of equality and the response against forces they described as attacking women's rights and promoting violence. Some speakers argued that feminism is democracy in action and that half of humanity deserves the same rights and freedoms. Others emphasized the recognition of the rights and dignity of all women, including the importance of motherhood.

On the digital dimension, the dominant political message was that online violence must be treated as violence, not as a mere exercise of freedom of expression. In the words of MEPs, bullying and hate have nothing to do with free expression, but represent violence that must be stopped.

The event took place in the European Parliament on the occasion of International Women's Day and focused on the impact of cyberbullying and digital violence. The case presented by Jackie Fox is linked to the campaign that led to the adoption in Ireland of "Coco's law", now cited as a possible model for a legislative approach at the European Union level.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/parlamentul-european-cere-masuri-mai-ferme-impotriva-cyberbullying-ului-dupa-apelul-mamei-unei-victime-pentru-o-lege-europeana