The testimonies of Peter Van de Veire and Sean Dhondt, after nude images of them were posted on social media without their permission, have stirred up some other victims of sexting. Tele-Reception has noticed a striking increase in the number of calls about that theme in recent days.
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Since Friday, Tele-Reception has registered about thirty calls from victims of sexting or revenge porn. “The phone is not ringing off the hook, but it is very striking. Generally speaking, we only occasionally get someone on the line who is confronted with the unwanted distribution of nude images. But since the case of the three male BVs who fell victim to it has been in the news, a barrier has clearly disappeared ”, says Tele Reception Coordinator Jennifer Pots.
Lever
Child Focus CEO Heidi De Pauw said last Friday that she hoped that sexting-gate, where nude photos and videos of Stan Van Samang, Peter Van de Veire and Sean Dhondt suddenly flooded social media, would make the problem open to discussion. That is clearly the case, says Jennifer Pots.
“Some people say on the phone that they want to come out because of the attention to this case. A caller had been with it for decades, she said. Even before there was social media. The elderly woman has been silent all this time, but testified to our operator that she now finally dares to speak about it. Sexting-gate is really a lever for some victims. That is only to be welcomed. ”
Tele-Reception initially listens to the stories, says Pots. “Because we are so accessible – a phone call is enough – and offer a listening ear 24/7 in complete confidence and anonymity, we are often the very first against whom those victims dare to tell their story. If necessary, we refer them to care providers, but we often find that simply venting is enough in the first instance. ”
String hit
Since the testimonials of Peter Van de Veire and Sean Dhondt on the radio, the telephone started to ring at Tele-Reception, says Jennifer Pots. “About ten calls a day. That’s just a small fraction of what we get every day – 300 calls typically – but it does indicate that a chord has been struck. The ampleur of the number of calls we received as a result of the De Pauw case is not yet available. But we cannot deny that it does affect victims of unwanted sexting. ”
Anyone with questions about this subject can contact Tele-Reception on the telephone number 106, or via chat at tele-onthaal.be.
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