Portuguese MEP Urges EU Action After Shocking Video of Sexual Assault Goes Viral.
A Portuguese Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is calling on the European Commission to take urgent action to combat the spread of harmful content online, following the circulation of a video allegedly showing the rape of a 16-year-old girl.
The disturbing footage, believed to have been filmed in February in the Loures district of Lisbon, was viewed over 32,000 times on social media before the police were alerted, not by users, but by the hospital where the victim sought treatment.
Three suspects, aged between 17 and 19, were arrested but later released by a court. They now face restrictions, including a ban on contacting the victim and mandatory check-ins with authorities.
EU Pressured to Act on Digital Safety
On Tuesday, Socialist MEP Ana Catarina Mendes addressed the European Commission in a letter co-signed by the Portuguese Socialist delegation.
Ms. Mendes described the video as part of a broader pattern of online abuse and cited additional cases, including allegations of upskirting at the University of Porto, where intimate images were reportedly shared in WhatsApp groups.
“These horrific acts violate fundamental rights and raise urgent concerns about online safety—especially for women,” Ana Catarina Mendes wrote. She urged the Commission to take concrete steps under the Digital Services Act to ensure social media platforms swiftly remove harmful content and prevent the spread of non-consensual material.
Public Outcry in Portugal
The call for stronger action comes after hundreds of people protested in front of the Portuguese Parliament on Saturday. Protesters demanded tougher laws and accountability from tech platforms. Many carried signs reading: “Rape is not filmed, it is condemned.”
An event organizer told Euronews that, at minimum, the suspects’ social media accounts should have been suspended while investigations are ongoing.
Political figures from several parties joined the protest, with Left Bloc leader Mariana Mortágua warning of a rise in misogyny online:
“Male chauvinists are becoming online prophets, contaminating a generation. We need rules for social networks and accountability for the platforms.”
Livre MP Isabel Mendes Lopes added that gender inequality is “structural” and worsened by unchecked harmful narratives online. She emphasized that many families remain unaware of the digital abuse their children face.
Inês Sousa Real, the sole MP for the PAN party, called for better victim protection systems, stronger crime reporting tools, and self-defense education in schools.
Supporting Victims of Image-Based Sexual Violence
Inês Marinho, a victim of image-based abuse whose intimate video was shared without her consent on Telegram, founded the ‘Don’t Share’ movement - now an association supporting victims of online sexual violence.
A 2024 investigation by Portuguese magazine NiT exposed a Telegram group of 70,000 men who were sharing intimate images of women without their consent.
Online Sexual Violence: A Growing EU-Wide Threat
Image-based sexual abuse is rising across Europe. According to a 2023 report from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), 1 in 10 women in the EU has experienced some form of non-consensual image sharing, often referred to as “revenge porn.” Most cases go unreported due to fear, stigma, or lack of legal protections.
Portugal is not facing this crisis in isolation. Across Europe, similar incidents have raised alarm—most notably in Spain, where a 2022 investigation uncovered a Telegram group with over 100,000 members sharing explicit images of women and minors without their consent. These disturbing revelations point to a deeper, systemic issue: the persistent inability or unwillingness of major tech platforms to effectively monitor and remove abusive content.
Globally, the responsibility of social media companies is under increasing scrutiny. In response, the European Union introduced the Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2024, aiming to hold large platforms accountable for illegal content.
The law mandates faster removal of harmful material and the implementation of transparent reporting mechanisms. Still, enforcing these rules remains a major challenge, particularly on encrypted platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, where moderation is limited by design. Experts call for digital literacy and platform responsibility.
Dr. Marta Santos, a cybercrime analyst at the University of Coimbra, said:
“We need stronger reporting mechanisms, more transparent moderation practices, and real consequences for platforms that allow this type of content to circulate.”
According to the NGO Women’s Digital Rights Watch, Portugal lacks dedicated support services for victims of online abuse. They are advocating for the creation of specialized cybercrime units and legal reform to categorize non-consensual image sharing as a standalone criminal offense. Digital abuse is becoming normalized.
As Inês Marinho, founder of the Don't Share movement, put it:
“When 70,000 men are casually swapping stolen images on Telegram, we are dealing with a cultural crisis, not just a digital one.”
