Seán Kelly, MEP, urges the European Parliament to adopt Coco's Law after its enactment in Ireland led to almost 100 cyberbullying prosecutions in three years. He thanks Jackie Fox for her campaigning and calls on colleagues across the EPP and the Parliament to act now to make the law European.
What he said
Seán Kelly addressed the Parliament to highlight the human cost behind cyberbullying and the legislative response in Ireland known as Coco's Law. He described how a mother's campaign turned grief into action and how the law has begun delivering prosecutions and deterrence.
Impact in Ireland
Kelly notes that in the three years since Coco's Law was enacted there have been almost 100 prosecutions for cyberbullying in Ireland. He emphasises that each prosecution represents a victim and a family seeking justice, and that the law has begun to deter would-be bullies.
European push
Kelly thanked his EPP colleagues for championing the cause and argued that the next step is to adopt Coco's Law at European level. He framed the Irish experience as a model the EU should follow to protect children and vulnerable people from online abuse.
Acknowledgement and urgency
Throughout his address Kelly pays tribute to Jackie Fox and to those affected by Nicola's death, stressing the moral imperative and urgency of moving quickly to make Coco's Law a European law. His appeal is both personal and procedural: honour victims and act legislatively now.
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Grazie onorevole, prego onorevole Kelly. Prego. Grímagos, Uachtarán, Commissioner, agus go léireach. When a child dies, a thousand questions are posed in the shattered lives of those left behind. What did we do to deserve this? What could we have done to prevent it? Why us? When Jackie Fox's daughter, Nicola, was tragically taken from her, she turned these questions into a mission. She pushed, she marched, she fought, and through her strength and determination saw Coco's Law enacted in Ireland, which criminalised the vile cyberbullying which led to Nicola's death. In the three years since Coco's Law was enacted, there have been almost 100 prosecutions for cyberbullying in Ireland. Behind each of these prosecutions is a victim. There is a person, a family, an entire community who deserve justice. Coco's Law is a means to that end, and it is already deterring would-be bullies from these cruel actions in the first place. I thank my EPP colleagues in particular, who have enthusiastically championed the cause of making Coco's Law a European law. We must act now. We have seen the impact Coco's Law has had in Ireland. We must make Coco's Law a European law, and we must do so now. Tá súil agaibh go raibh feathair an d líl seo, d líl Coco, ar ach tál i raibh traoiseá na párlamente seo. Tá sé sin tilte i Coco agus a maith agaibh go raibh seo, Jackie. Míle buíochas sa cárda.
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