Public Statement by Jackie Fox 9th of December 2020.
I met with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, yesterday evening (Tuesday the 8th of December) at 5pm. The minister invited me to meet her with regards to the naming of upcoming laws around online harassment and bullying, currently to be named “Harassment, Harmful Communications, and Related Offences Bill”, but known to me and the people of Ireland as ‘Coco’s Law’. My daughter Nicole (Coco) took her own life because of harassment, stalking, and an online campaign of attack and intimidation, the offenders often calling for my beautiful baby girl to kill herself. Nicole received so much care, love, and support from me and our family, but with no law at the time to stop the online bullying and harassment, Nicole succumbed to the intense pressure and took her own life. If I am, to be honest, I believe those young people that tortured my little angel took her life. Since losing Nicole, I have campaigned tirelessly for laws to protect the youth of Ireland from harassment and bullying, especially but not only online. Throughout this time, I had been led to believe that the “Harassment, Harmful Communications, and Related Offences Bill”, would be finally named ‘Coco’s Law’ after Nicole. I received support and praise from across party political lines as I campaigned all over Ireland, talking about Nicole and promoting the law on Streets, in Schools and community groups, in meetings with every stakeholder in Irish society. When debated in the Houses of the Oireachtas, the new law was almost always referred to as Coco’s Law, and not once did any politician from any party suggest for one moment that the law would not be called ‘Coco’s Law. The Irish people were convinced of the need for the new laws and that they would be called Coco’s Law, not the “Harassment, Harmful Communications, and Related Offences Bill”. I was sent legal advice from a parliamentary party legal advisor stating that there were no technical reasons why it could not be called Coco’s Law. To me and the people of Ireland, it has always be called Coco’s Law. On Thursday the 3rd of December I discovered through social media that the government planned not to include ‘Coco’ or Nicole, in the title of the Bill, this is in spite of the nation knowing it as ‘Coco’s Law’. I contacted the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, about this and she requested a meeting with me. I met the Minister yesterday evening at 5pm. I attended the meeting yesterday with two fellow Coco’s Law campaigners. The Minister expressed her sadness at Coco’s loss and praised me in my work to campaign for Coco’s law. On hearing Coco’s story for the first time in detail, the Minister cried, and I believe her tears to have been sincere and genuine. The Minister and her advisor then explained that the Attorney General’s advice is to the effect that including Coco’s name in any form in the title of the new bill may influence Juries in cases dissimilar to that of Coco’s experiences of harassment and intimidation both offline and online. I disagreed with the Minister on this point but accept that at this point in time, and so close to the enactment of the Bill, there is little space left in which to campaign on this particular issue. The Minister, at the meeting, did make two proposals with regards to how Coco’s memory can be preserved and how her story can be enshrined in the memories of the people of Ireland as a means to combatting online harassment, bullying, and intimidation. Firstly, the Minster and her advisors have proposed a memorandum be attached to the new legislation that refers to Coco, her story, and the campaign that has brought about the legislation. The wording of the memorandum will clearly indicate that the Harassment, Harmful Communications, and Related Offences bill is also to be known as Coco’s Law. Secondly, the Minister proposed funding for an educational medium through which young people can be informed about online bullying and harassment and I currently understand that to mean a type of educational foundation. My campaign colleague sought a commitment from the Minister around a meeting to tie down both proposals within the following two days. That commitment was given, and we have formally requested a meeting today via the Department of Justice. I would like to express my thanks to the Minister, her assistants and colleagues, Brendan Howlin of the Labour party, all deputies and their staff, campaigners, the public and media, that have supported me in the campaign for Coco’s Law. I appreciate the alternative proposals made by the Minister and believe, when acted upon, they will ensure my angel Nicole’s legacy is preserved and her story, my pain, becomes a beacon of light and good for all those suffering from harassment and intimidation. I will keep the great Irish people informed in every way I can as I meet with the Minster in the coming days and the outcome of that meeting. There are no words sufficient to express my appreciation and thanks to the people of Ireland for the support, love, and comfort you have given me and my family as I traveled the country campaigning for Coco’s Law.
Thank you.
With Kind Regards,
Jackie Fox