Jackie Fox’s new documentary about Coco’s Law will air on RTÉ One this coming Monday, January 22nd, at 9.35pm.
Jackie & Coco, directed by Gerard Walsh, follows the Irish mother’s extraordinary journey to find meaning following the tragic suicide of her beloved daughter, Nicole, due to online bullying.
Nicole, whose nickname was Coco, took her own life at the age of 21 after being relentlessly bullied online and abused physically for three years.
Since her daughter’s death, Jackie has campaigned tirelessly to change Irish and EU law to make online bullying a crime, impacting the lives of 750 million Europeans and potentially saving hundreds of lives.
The documentary follows Jackie’s campaign to revolutionise Ireland’s otherwise outdated and slow-moving legislative process in order to secure her daughter’s legacy and to save the lives of many more.
Jackie not only managed to change the law in Ireland but against all precedent, she also managed to have the law named after her daughter: Coco’s Law.
Speaking to Goss.ie before the documentary’s release, Jackie said she hopes the programme will spread the word of Coco’s Law to a wider audience.
Jackie said: “When Coco’s Law was first passed on the 9th of February it was during Covid time, and we didn’t get to highlight it out to everyone. So still, believe it or not, even though I have the law and it’s been everywhere, there’s still a lot of people that don’t know about Coco’s Law.”
“So with this documentary now going out to so many people, a lot more people now will get to find out what Coco’s Law is and that there is a law there to protect them.
In 2021, Ireland adopted the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, known as ‘Coco’s Law’, which criminalised the distribution of intimate images without consent, and updated pre-existing harassment legislation.
Last year, Jackie met with the European Parliament to talk about introducing Coco’s Law in Europe.
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Speaking about that experience, Jackie told us: “It was something that I never imagined was going to happen. I brought Coco’s Law in, and then to bring it to the European Parliament was just crazy…
“It went out to 27 countries and it just didn’t seem real, but it was very beneficial because when I went home, I wasn’t supposed to go back to the European Parliament until June, but they called me back over just a couple of days later and said that they were proceeding to bring in a law in Europe.
“And I was so happy that Frances Fitzgerald, who has an input in naming the law, she guaranteed me that Coco’s name would be in the law. But it’s not for me, you know, it’s brilliant that it’s going to be Europe wide, but it’s for Nicole’s legacy.
“It’s huge. I always said when Nicole died that I’d make sure that she’d never ever is going to be forgotten. And she wasn’t in Ireland. But now to be guaranteed to be told that Coco’s name will be in the law in Europe is just, like, wow, you know her name’s going to be everywhere. And that’s so important,” Jackie continued.
“But also obviously the legislation, because Nicole had no protection over here. She had nowhere to turn, she had no law. And now, unfortunately, I had to lose my daughter for other people to gain a law that should have been in years ago.
“But now, you know, it’s moving forward and its going to be in Europe and, as I said, guaranteed that we’re going to have Coco’s name in it as well.”
When asked if she felt angry that she had to lose her daughter in order to make such incredible change, Jackie admitted she was angry with the Irish government.
“The law should have been in, you know there would have been so many people saved if they had a law to protect them,” she said.
“Angry with the people that did this to Nicole? No, I don’t let them into my head. They’re nothing to me, I don’t let them consume me. So I don’t have that side of the anger.
“But yes, with the government, there would have been so many more people saved if they had [the law in sooner]. I shouldn’t have had to lose my daughter and bring in a law for other people to gain. It should have been in years ago.”
Jackie & Coco airs on Monday, January 22nd, at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.Â
