NewDelhi: While the Metaverse seem to be blurring the line between virtual and reality –merging both the worlds in an interconnected digital universe — crime against women too have set its foot in the digital world.
As per reports in the Daily Mail, the cops in UK are investing the gangrape case of a 16 year old child in the Metaverse, believed to be the first such virtual sexual offence investigated by the agency.
The Daily Mail reported that the teenager, though has not suffered any physical attack or injury during the virtual gangrape of her digital avatar, the mental and psychological trauma that she underwent are similar to that of the physical attack.
Since the virtual reality experience is a completely immersive one, the assault and harassment have the same psychological and emotional impact.
Daily Mail, quoting a Meta spokesman said, ‘The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don’t know a few feet away from you.’
National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Child Protection and Abuse Investigation Lead, Ian Critchley, told Daily Mail, “We know offenders’ tactics to groom and commit offences are constantly evolving. This is why our collective fight against predators like in this case, is essential to ensuring young people are protected online and can use technology safely without threat or fear.”
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