By Canadian Press

Put politics aside and act on online harms, mother of sextortion victim tells MPs

Dec 5, 2024 | 3:08 PM

OTTAWA — Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation.

The bill and other legislation have been blocked from moving forward for months due to a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives.

Justice Minister Arif Virani split the bill into two parts this week heeding calls from critics to separate the more controversial hate speech provisions from the child exploitation components.

But the bill still can’t move forward until the privilege filibuster is over.

Barbie Lavers, whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online over intimate images, told House of Commons committee today that she supports the act and asked politicians to come to a temporary alliance and stop using children as political pawns to show “one party is more correct than the other.”

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Carole Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide due to online sextortion, told MPs it is hurtful to watch political arguments after waiting 12 years for legislation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press