Between tracking devices and smartphone apps that have made cyberbullying and the widespread sharing of explicit images online commonplace, authorities say they are struggling to keep up with a growing range of threats.

Although these new offenses affect both sexes, the police and human rights organizations say that women and girls are disproportionately affected by digital violence.

Speaking during the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign in the Cayman Islands in November, officials warned that much greater awareness was needed at the local level regarding new and concerning behaviors occurring online. –

Mahreen Nabi, vice president of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Grand Cayman, said that this year’s United Nations campaign had focused on online abuse.

«A lot of work has been done to address physical violence, but the online space is still a bit of a Wild West for many reasons,» she said.

Nabi added that many jurisdictions, including the Cayman Islands, still have a lot of work to do to better protect internet users.

This 16-day campaign served as a platform for authorities to highlight how gender-based violence is increasingly shifting from physical spaces to digital environments.

The Range of Threats

Sergeant Elizabeth Owens of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force stated that the range of digital threats faced by Cayman Islands residents is broad and often interconnected, ranging from harassment and stalking to manipulation and image-based abuse.

She noted that officers regularly handle cases of online harassment and cyberbullying, including instances where people are tracked without their consent via cell phones, tracking devices in vehicles, or shared devices.

The police have also noted an increase in cases of «revenge porn,» in which intimate images shared consensually within a relationship are later used to threaten, coerce, or blackmail a former partner.

Other offenses include online harassment and manipulation affecting both adults and children, abuse in online dating relationships involving controlling or coercive behavior, and cases where access to phones, email, or social media accounts is monitored or restricted.

«All of this amounts to coercive and domineering behavior,» she said.

Although not all cases involve new technologies, she noted that emerging tools—particularly AI-generated content—are expanding the possibilities for abuse.

The police also expressed concern about the impact that online abuse can have on young people's mental health.

Divisional Commissioner Richard Barrow said that police officers have observed a troubling link between online activity and self-harm among young people.

Nabi explained that many women who are victims of or witnesses to cyberbullying respond by changing their online behavior, limiting their participation, or avoiding certain platforms altogether. While this reflects a growing awareness of the risks, she emphasized that it can also lead women to withdraw from spaces where they should feel free to express themselves.

«Everyone should feel comfortable, whether in person or online, and we shouldn’t let violence or harassment influence our behavioral decisions,» she said.

Is legislation necessary?

The police acknowledge that the law has not kept pace with changes in modern society, particularly recent technological advancements.

Most sexual offenses and offenses related to gender-based violence are covered by the Penal Code.

Over the past decade, numerous laws—including the Bill of Rights, legislation on domestic violence, data protection, and anti-harassment laws—have all had an impact on national policies and social norms.

While the evolution of cybercrime and artificial intelligence creates challenges in prosecuting offenders and managing threats, the police emphasize that this does not mean reported incidents go uninvestigated.

Owens stated that the RCIPS relies on a range of existing offenses—including misuse of ICT networks, (online) harassment, criminal harassment, and blackmail—to prosecute offenders.

She stated that the scope of existing legislation allows the police to intervene in a wide range of online behaviors, even if the text of the law does not always reflect the specific threat, risk, or harm that has been identified or reported.

She stated that offenses that may seem new or outdated—such as «indecent exposure of a woman» or «idleness and disorder»—are often used to support prosecutions in court, in the absence of more modern laws.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

However, law enforcement officials have emphasized that enforcement alone is not enough to counter online threats and risks. They have repeatedly emphasized that early detection, education, and awareness-raising, as well as changing attitudes, are essential tools for prevention.

«Prevention is better than cure. Problems don't just go away—they get worse,» Owens said.

Senior Inspector Lorraine Roberts said that underreporting remains one of the biggest challenges, particularly in cases involving intimate images or online humiliation.

«If we don't have this information, we don't know who the most dangerous offenders in the Cayman Islands are,» Roberts emphasized.

If someone is a victim of violence, it is in their best interest to come forward.

She said, «We will respond to you without judgment or bias, and we will make confidentiality our top priority in our response.»

«We want people to come forward and tell us what's happening to them.»

Even if a report does not lead to a criminal complaint or a conviction, it helps the police identify patterns and focus on repeat offenders.

«This can stem the problem and prevent people from becoming future victims,» Roberts said.

The authorities also emphasized that responsibility does not lie solely with the victims or law enforcement.

Karlene Bramwell, senior advisor on diversity and gender equality policies, urged the public to speak out against abusive behavior when they witness it.

«If you wouldn’t want someone to do the same thing to you, then don’t stay silent,» she said, calling on her friends, colleagues, and online communities to reject and speak out against harmful behavior.

Legislative Approaches in Other Countries

United Kingdom:

In 2025, the British government announced its intention to criminalize the creation and sharing of sexually explicit images generated by artificial intelligence without consent. This new offense will make it possible to prosecute those who commit these acts—both for creating and for sharing such images—and will carry penalties of up to two years in prison. The government has also introduced new offenses to combat the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and coercive behavior.

Australia:

Australia has introduced new offenses punishable by significant prison terms. The 2024 Bill to Amend the Criminal Code (Fake Sexual Content) makes it a crime to distribute sexually explicit content depicting a person without their consent, including content generated by artificial intelligence. Penalties include several years in prison for the creators and distributors of such content.

United States:

The TAKE IT DOWN Act requires digital platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, as soon as they are reported. Several states have also enacted laws that specifically criminalize the distribution of pornographic deepfakes, with harsher penalties for content involving minors.

South Korea:

South Korea has some of the most advanced laws in this area. This Asian country criminalizes not only the production and distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes, but also the possession and viewing of such content , and provides for prison terms and fines for violators.

• Additional reporting by Philipp Richter