The Online Safety Commission is urging members of the public to stop sharing graphic images circulating on social media depicting a deceased individual.

The Statement comes after graphic images of late Jone Vakarisi circulated on social media yesterday, showing the extend of the injuries. 

In a statement, the Commission said the images are highly distressing and show the deceased in a vulnerable and exposed state, causing further pain and trauma for grieving family members and loved ones.

The Commission strongly warned people against sharing, reposting, forwarding or publishing the material on social media platforms, messaging applications and online forums.

“The images being shared are highly distressing, show the deceased in a vulnerable and exposed state, and have caused further pain and trauma to grieving family members and loved ones during an already difficult time.”

The Commission acknowledged growing public concern surrounding the circumstances of the death but stressed the importance of allowing lawful and independent processes to continue transparently.

“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a person’s death, every individual is entitled to dignity and respect.”

It added that the unnecessary circulation of graphic images undermines human dignity and can cause serious emotional distress to surviving family members and affected persons.

The Commission also reminded the public that under the Online Safety Act 2018, online conduct that causes serious harm to others may raise legal concerns.

It further warned that continued circulation of the images could retraumatise affected families while official investigations and processes remain ongoing.

The Commission also called on social media administrators and platform operators to take immediate steps to prevent the continued spread of the images online.

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