Shine OnTwo Swedish teen girls found guilty of ‘slut-shaming’ on Instagram
Bullying and slut-shaming are often dismissed as a cruel part of adolescent life -- unfortunate, but rarely worth more than a slap on the wrist.
This is why a recent court ruling in Sweden might come as a surprise to some.
Two teenage girls, 15 and 16, were convicted Tuesday of aggravated defamation for their role in a slut-shaming web operation that resulted in teen rioting back in December 2012, reports The Local, an English newspaper in Sweden.
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The girls were found guilty of having set up an anonymous Instagram account that encouraged users to publish pictures of those they deemed "sluts" and "whores" along with descriptions of their alleged sexual acts.
"The verdict sends a signal to young people and society that this indignity culture cannot be allowed to exist." Arash Raoufi, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, tells Reuters. "I hope it will also result in parents being more alert to what kids do at the computer."
The social media account prompted violent protests in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, after more than 200 photos and names were posted on the Instagram account and it gained more than 6,000 followers. Some protesters angry with the cyberbullying engaged in vandalism and 30 arrests were made.
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The girls have been ordered to pay a total of 570,000 kronor ($88,350 CAN) to the 38 victims, averaging 15,000 kronor ($2,325 CAN) for each victim. The 15-year-old was sentenced to juvenile detention, while her 16-year-old accomplice was sentenced to 45 hours of community service.
Their lawyer, Claes Östlund, believes the conviction penalty was too harsh.
"How can you stop your daughter from going in on the net and writing that someone is a whore when you don't even have a computer yourself," he tells The Local.
What are your thoughts on the Swedish court ruling? Will it act as a deterrent to other youth considering cyberbulling?
