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Teenage girls' 'insulting' blog prompts defamation claim

David Landes
David Landes - [email protected]
Teenage girls' 'insulting' blog prompts defamation claim

Hurtful gossip about teachers and staff published on a blog by two girls from a middle school in central Sweden have led to the filing of a defamation claim with Sweden’s Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern).

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In an initial complaint filed with police by administrators at the Stenhammar middle school in Flen, staff at the school claimed they had been “deeply insulted and hurt” by a blog operated by two girls at the school.

The blog, which has since been removed, contained a number of rumours about the romantic life and sexual orientation of various different staff members, as well as a number of posts taking aim at the appearance of certain teachers.

In one post, the girls compare a female teacher to a plastic doll, citing the woman’s choice of make-up.

“Talk about plastic! Like 10 layers of foundation, 3 layers of powder, 2 layers of rouge, and like 100 layers of cream, 50 types of mascara!" the girls write.

"Don’t you know get that you’re not good looking!!!!"

Another blog entry suggests that two teachers had started a relationship with one another, and encourages readers to add comments on what the alleged pair might be hiding:

“Is there something going on between them? They eat together, talk on the phone together, and take walks together, and they shop at [the grocery store] Coop together? What can it be? And in any case, what do they have to hide?!”

According to the police report, the girls responsible for the blog have apologized, but that didn’t stop police from passing the complaint along for a hearing by the Chancellor of Justice.

The Chancellor’s office will now consider whether to or not to take up the case.

Police also noted that, as the girls are both under 15-years-old, they are immune from criminal prosecution in Sweden.

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