Even when anti-bribery laws could be interpreted to include these acts, this rarely happens, due to long-held perceptions – including among justice officials – of corruption as a financial crime. Despite the harmful consequences, many anti-corruption frameworks do not explicitly criminalise coerced sexual acts as forms of bribery, abuse of authority or corrupt wrongdoing. Victims/survivors also find it hard to get redress because many justice systems and legal frameworks are poorly equipped for prosecuting sextortion. It is rare that the services that are available connect sextortion victims/survivors* with vital physical and psychological support as well as advice about the legal risks and potential costs of reporting this crime.
Those that try to report it often fail to do so because safe, confidential and gender-sensitive reporting services are hard to find or non-existent.
Importantly, many are put off reporting because of the danger of retaliation – "if I report my manager for sextorting me, will he get me fired?" They risk being re-victimised, incurring financial costs and sometimes being prosecuted as a bribe giver. Many people who are harmed by sextortion don’t report it because social stigma and cultural taboos make them scared of being shamed, excluded or even attacked. These include dropping out of school, pregnancy, leaving a well-paid job and enduring abuse with physical and psychological effects. A lot more research is needed on sextortion, but anecdotal evidence suggests that those affected can suffer serious, sometimes life-changing, consequences.
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