‘Trauma shared online by strangers’ said Derry MLA urging the Executive to back Caoimhe’s Law
Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan has called for the Executive to back ‘Caoimhe’s Law.’ The proposed legislation would make it a criminal offence to film or distribute images or footage at the scene of road traffic collisions without lawful authority or consent.
Speaking following an SDLP Opposition Assembly motion on Monday, December 8, calling on the Justice Minister to work with the Infrastructure Minister to introduce legislation, the MLA for Foyle said: “Imagine losing a loved one or having them seriously injured in a road traffic accident only for footage to be circulated on social media or in messenger groups. When my sister Deirdre was killed in a car crash at just eighteen, our world stopped. The grief never leaves you. Decades later, I remember every detail of those hours and days. What I cannot imagine is the added cruelty of having that trauma filmed or shared online by strangers, whether for curiosity, for clicks, or for ‘likes.’ Yet that is exactly what too many families across the North have endured.
“We have even had instances of families, like Caoimhe O’Brien’s, finding out she had passed away through social media before they could be informed. No family should ever find themselves in that situation, but all too often we are seeing people filming or taking photos at the scene of crashes without a thought for the impact their actions may have.
“I commend the bravery of the families who are coming forward to ensure that no one else experiences the pain of finding out such devastating news or seeing it online. The Justice and Infrastructure Ministers must listen to their stories and act now.”