Austrian politician convicted of libel for accusing man of sexual harassment on Facebook
Article here. Excerpt:
'In an unprecedented case, a judge at the Regional Court for Criminal Matters in Vienna ruled that Green Party politician Sigrid Maurer libeled the owner of a city craft beer store because she couldn’t prove that he actually posted the harassing messages on his Facebook account.
In March, Maurer, 33, an advocate for women's rights, received obscene Facebook messages from the account of the owner of the store, where she walks by frequently. One said, “Hello you went to my shop today and looked at my c--- as if you wanted to eat it.“
Maurer posted the messages on Facebook and Twitter, including his name and the store's name. "There was no other way to defend myself," she said.
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The beer store's owner, whose name can remain private under Austrian law, may yet receive punishment if an investigation finds he gave false testimony. The judge asked government prosecutors to look into the case. If he is found to have lied, he could face three years in jail.'
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