Rehtaeh Parsons’ mother urging Nova Scotia to move forward with online safety legislation

On the fourth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Rehtaeh Parsons‘ mother is hoping the province will soon roll out a new online safety law meant to protect victims of cyberbullying and other online crimes.

READ MORE: Most recommendations from review of Rehtaeh Parsons case underway

“A lot of things needed to change and should have been in place for Rehtaeh,” said Leah Parsons, who has become an advocate for cyber-safety since her daughter’s death.

“If somebody went in right away and dealt with these attacks that were happening to her, I don’t think her mental health would have went down so fast,” Parsons said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If somebody went in right away and dealt with these attacks that were happening to her, I don't think her mental health would have went down so fast," Parsons said.

Rehtaeh Parsons took her own life in 2013 in the aftermath of an alleged sexual assault involving four teenage boys.

After a picture of the incident was circulated digitally, Parsons’ family say her mental health quickly deteriorated due to relentless bullying.

Shortly after her funeral, the province pushed through Canada’s first cyber-safety law, legislation that was criticized by legal experts since it was first announced.

“The way that they wrote it was, essentially cyberbullying was anything that could be done electronically that could hurt somebody’s feelings,” said David Fraser, an internet and privacy lawyer in Halifax.

The proposed law was deemed unconstitutional and struck down by the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in December 2015, a move that didn’t surprise legal experts like Fraser, who felt the law was a “knee-jerk reaction” to a horrific event.

“What I would have liked to have seen would have been more careful deliberation, in an environment that wasn’t so emotionally charged,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What I would have liked to have seen would have been more careful deliberation, in an environment that wasn't so emotionally charged," he said.

The province is currently in the process of meeting with stakeholders to craft a new cyberbullying law.

While both Parsons and Fraser agree the new law should include adults, they both feel it should be tailored to fit the specific needs of youth.

“It’s really important to act fast, especially when we’re dealing with youth, because their mental health is at stake,” Parsons said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's really important to act fast, especially when we're dealing with youth, because their mental health is at stake," Parsons said.

The new law is expected to be enacted before the end of the spring.