'People are entitled to dignity': Call in Kildare for law to protect privacy of road traffic victims
A number of political representatives in County Kildare have expressed support for a proposed law to protect the privacy of road traffic collision victims.
The Leinster Leader asked a number of these reps about their thoughts on a public appeal which was released earlier this month by councillors in County Sligo .
These councillors have called on the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan TD (Fianna Fáil), to make it an offence to record and / or share images or videos from collision scenes, so as to avoid potentially traumatising friends and families of anyone who is killed in these collisions.
It also echoes the ‘Caoimhe’s Law’ campaign in Northern Ireland , which also wants to make it an offence to record and / or share images or videos from collision scenes.
The first representative who responded to the Leader’s request for comment was Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh.
She said: “Sinn Féin is aware of the stress that the sharing of images has caused road traffic victims and their families, and is eager to ensure that there are legislative measures in place to address this issue.
“We will be working with the Minister [for Justice] and other parties to seek to reach a consensus on the best way to respond.”
The Kildare Town -based Deputy further said: “Matt Carthy, as chair of the Oireachtas Justice committee, is eager that the committee examines all options in this regard.”
Moreover, Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender, who represents the Kildare- Newbridge Municipal District (MD), also expressed support for the law reform.
He elaborated: “I think there should be a clear legal protection for people who are seriously injured or killed in road traffic collisions from having images or videos of them recorded and shared around social media without consent.
“No family should find out what has happened to someone they love because footage from the scene has appeared online; that is completely unacceptable.
“There is already legislation before the Oireachtas dealing with this issue, and it has been sitting there for years, and I think it needs to be progressed and brought into law.”
Cllr Pender also said: “There are details that need to be dealt with around dashcam footage, garda evidence and legitimate journalism, but those issues are not a reason to leave this sitting indefinitely.”
He concluded: “People are entitled to dignity, particularly at the worst moments of their lives, and families deserve better than seeing those moments turned into content for social media.”
‘IT’S SAD WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION’
Cllr Pender’s party colleague in the Clane - Maynooth MD, Cllr Peter Melrose, expressed similar sentiments to the Leader.
Cllr Melrose said: “It's sad that we have to have a conversation about sharing such devastating and tragic information and / or footage on the internet.
“I would be certainly interested in exploring the idea further, but struggling to see how it would be enforceable; for every preventative measure that politicians think they're putting in, there seems to be a hundred ways to circumvent them.”
He added: “As often is the case in these situations, social media companies are abdicating responsibility for their platforms, and until they are properly regulated and their algorithms are not designed for addiction, this sort of digital rubbernecking will continue to leak; it's quite depressing if I'm honest.”
Fianna Fáil Cllr Veralouise Behan, who represents the Athy MD, also told the Leader: “The sudden tragic death of a loved one is devastating, but having to cope with the knowledge that someone had recorded, broadcast or shared details of it across social media is appalling.
“There seems to be a lack of realisation that the people being filmed or posted about are not actors; they are real people, with real families, and real friends, who get hurt and traumatised by this kind of behaviour.
“Just because somebody may lose their life on a public road, does not make it [suitable for] public consumption.”
She also said that she has ‘unwavering respect to the emergency services and any citizens who offer dignity and comfort to those who those who find themselves or their loved ones in tragic circumstances’.
Cllr Behan concluded by adding that she wanted to express her ‘deepest sympathy to families and friends who have had to experience the invasiveness of social media in this way’.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Samaritans Ireland (116 123 ) or you can visit pieta.ie (24/7 Free Crisis Helpline: 1800 247 247 or Text HELP to 51444).
In addition, you can also visit aware.ie .
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.