Facebook post not necessarily enough to prosecute a bully

MP Taraba published a picture of the president's daughter, saying he was not being ironic.

Emma Čaputová in the middleEmma Čaputová in the middle (Source: TASR)

Non-affiliated MP Tomáš Taraba, who left the caucus of the far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS), exposed the 17-year-old daughter of President Zuzana Čaputová to online mockery.

Thousands of people responded to his post, but it will probably not be sufficient for criminal prosecution.

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The police called his deed “an example of bullying on the internet.”

In the summer, a new crime was added to the Penal Code – dangerous electronic harassment. This means that if someone publishes humiliating pictures or videos of a person and bullies them on social networks over a long period, this person can be punished with one to six years in prison.

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However, two attorneys addressed by the Sme daily doubt whether Taraba’s post falls under this crime. In similar cases the court can order the author to delete the post.

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