The mother of a 16-year-old girl whose classmates’ social media photos were “mutilated” into fake nude images says her daughter vomited when she saw them online.
Trauma therapist Emily, who did not provide her surname, said she learned on Saturday night that Bacchus Marsh Grammar students’ photos had been manipulated using AI.
About 50 girls at the school were included in the doctored images.
“I went and picked my daughter up from a sleepover and she was very upset, and she was throwing up and it was incredibly graphic,” Emily told ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday.
“As a parent we try to educate our children, our daughters [to have] private accounts [and] hone it in … it’s just unavoidable. They were all private accounts.
“She was cropped out but there’s just that feeling of, will it come up, will this happen again?”
Emily described the incident as disturbing and said the photos were mutilated and so graphic, she almost vomited too.
“How can you reassure them that the measures are in place that it won’t happen again?” she said.
Bacchus Marsh Grammar, north-west of Melbourne, was counselling students on Wednesday.
Acting principal Kevin Richardson said students’ and families’ wellbeing was of paramount importance to the school.
“Bacchus Marsh Grammar has been made aware of the production and circulation of video content that includes images of students from the school community,” Richardson said.
“On behalf of the persons and families affected, Bacchus Marsh Grammar is taking this matter very seriously and has contacted Victoria Police.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers arrested a teenager over the explicit images circulated online. The boy was released pending further inquiries and the investigation continues.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan called out the “disgraceful and misogynistic conduct”.
“My thoughts are with the young women of Bacchus Marsh Grammar and their families; there is no place for this disgraceful and misogynistic conduct in Victoria,” she said on Wednesday.
“Women and girls deserve respect in class, online and everywhere else in our community, which is why we have made laws against this behaviour and we are teaching respectful relationships in schools to stop violence before it starts.”
Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan said the circulation of the images represented a broader cultural problem.
“It is a cultural issue across our society that for whatever reason, the standards of behaviour are not being taught to young boys,” he told Nine on Wednesday morning.
“I wish I had the answers – I don’t – but I don’t necessarily think it’s something a government or a law can change.
“We’ve all got to chip in to try to make sure that young boys understand what it means to grow up to be a man and live by the standards that society expects.”
Canavan said technology had “supercharged” boys’ bad behaviour.
-with AAP
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