Women’s legal centre launches ‘Name Him’ campaign using emojis to highlight gaps in sexual offence laws

The Women’s Legal Centre has launched its ‘Name Him’ campaign, aiming to symbolically identify accused rapists by encrypting their names into emojis, effectively bypassing the law that prohibits the public disclosure of their identities.

Normally, accused people may be named, except when the nature of the offence is sexual. “Why is that so?" asks Advocate Pithy asks Advocate Bronwyn Pithey, who leads the programme on violence against women at the Women's Legal Centre. "Why does the law protect people who've been accused of a sexual offence and are appearing in court, but doesn't allow the media or anyone else, including the complainant, to name that person publicly?"

The law in question, section 115 of the Criminal Procedure Act, prohibits the disclosure of the identities of accused individuals until they have pleaded guilty or been convicted. Pithey argues that this law perpetuates the myth that women lie about being raped, and that it's a way to protect the accused at the expense of the victims. "There is no evidence to show that false charges and sexual offences are any more than any other offence," she emphasises. "So, why are we protecting this particular group of people?"

The ‘Name Him’ campaign is not just about challenging the law; it's about giving victims a voice and a way to reclaim their power. By using an AI tool to encrypt the names of accused rapists, the campaign allows victims to symbolically name their attackers without breaking the law. "We've gone to the extent of making it totally safe," assures Pithey. "But that in itself shows the absurdity of it. The law basically says that, if you do name a person who has been accused of a sexual offence, if you name him publicly, that is a criminal offence; you are subject to criminal charges."

The campaign is also about highlighting the importance of transparency in the justice system. Pithey explains that if the alleged perpetrators’ identities are not disclosed, witnesses may be reluctant to come forward, and cases may not be fully investigated. "If people know that someone is before the court on charges of this nature, they may come forward and say, actually, I can assist with evidence in this matter."

Click below to listen to the interview and learn more about the ‘Name Him’ campaign: