Teens girls to be charged in Instagram riot case
Prosecutors in Gothenburg have decided to file criminal charges against two teen girls believed to be behind a "slut-shaming" account on Instagram that caused local teenagers to riot last year.
Speaking with the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper, prosecutor Annika Boman said she had decided to charge two girls, aged 15 and 18, with aggravated defamation.
"Charges will likely be formally filed at the end of April, but it may also take longer. New information may emerge in the investigation," she told the newspaper.
Around 85 people have been interviewed in the investigation, which was launched after a mystery Instagram user took to the popular photo-sharing site to "shame" male and female "teen sluts" in Gothenburg by publishing pictures of them together with alleged information about their sex lives.
A riot ensued in December 2012, as hundreds of high school students assembled outside the Plusgynmasiet high school in an attempt to find the owner of the anonymous Instagram account.
Many of the young people provided investigators with screen shots of derogatory or insulting comments about them left on the Instagram account, which asked people to spread gossip about others' sexual activities.
Many of the comments, several of which used graphic and obscene language, are being investigated as possible slander.
Boman explained she must determine how many of those who reported possible defamation crimes will end up being included in the indictment, speculating that "not even half" will make the cut.
TT/The Local/dl
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Speaking with the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper, prosecutor Annika Boman said she had decided to charge two girls, aged 15 and 18, with aggravated defamation.
"Charges will likely be formally filed at the end of April, but it may also take longer. New information may emerge in the investigation," she told the newspaper.
Around 85 people have been interviewed in the investigation, which was launched after a mystery Instagram user took to the popular photo-sharing site to "shame" male and female "teen sluts" in Gothenburg by publishing pictures of them together with alleged information about their sex lives.
A riot ensued in December 2012, as hundreds of high school students assembled outside the Plusgynmasiet high school in an attempt to find the owner of the anonymous Instagram account.
Many of the young people provided investigators with screen shots of derogatory or insulting comments about them left on the Instagram account, which asked people to spread gossip about others' sexual activities.
Many of the comments, several of which used graphic and obscene language, are being investigated as possible slander.
Boman explained she must determine how many of those who reported possible defamation crimes will end up being included in the indictment, speculating that "not even half" will make the cut.
TT/The Local/dl
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