Between silence and the state: Victim-survivors’ justice journeys in cases of image-based abuse and sextortion in Bangladesh

Abstract

Image-based abuse and sextortion are increasingly recognised as serious forms of technology-facilitated sexual violence, yet limited empirical research has examined how victim-survivors navigate justice-seeking in high-stigma contexts. This article examines victim-survivors’ justice journeys in cases of image-based abuse and sextortion in Bangladesh, focusing on silence and disclosure, institutional responses, and evolving understandings of justice. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 18 victim-survivors and 12 stakeholders, the study adopts a victim-centred analytical approach informed by secondary victimisation, procedural justice, and access to justice frameworks. The findings show that silence and delayed disclosure often functioned as deliberate and protective strategies shaped by stigma, reputational risk, and concerns about loss of control over personal information. For those who engaged with formal or semi-formal systems, fragmented reporting pathways, repeated disclosure demands, evidentiary burdens, and limited communication frequently contributed to secondary harm and disengagement. Attrition emerged as a cumulative and reasoned response to emotional exhaustion and procedural burden rather than indifference or failure. Many victim-survivors ultimately redefined justice in experiential terms, prioritising safety and restoration of control over formal legal outcomes. The study demonstrates that legal reform alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful access to justice for victim-survivors of technology-facilitated abuse.