Submitted on Wednesday 4th February 2026
Rejected on Monday 16th March 2026
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: no-action (see below for details)
Recognise smear campaigns as abuse and strengthen legal protections for victims
Recognise smear campaigns as a form of psychological abuse and strengthen legal protection for victim survivors, including consideration of criminal accountability where smear campaigns are used to silence, intimidate, discredit or retaliate against disclosures of abuse. Smear campaigns cause harm.
Smear campaigns are a harmful practice used against victim survivors after disclosing abuse. They occur not only in intimate partner relationships, but also in workplaces, professional settings and communities, where false allegations, reputation damage, and isolation are used to silence and punish disclosures. These actions cause serious psychological, professional, and social harm, yet are often dismissed as civil disputes instead of criminal. Victims need stronger recognition and protection.
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The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:
It's not clear how what the petition is calling for are any different than the protections already available under statute law, such as under s1 of the Protection of Harassment Act 1997
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/40/section/1
216.73.216.30 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 05:22:29 +0100
