Online harasssment?

Lushful

Is there anything I can do about online harassment?

My ex was physically and emotionally abusive, and I broke up with him several years ago. During the intervening time, he contacted my family and myself several times, drove past my family home repeatedly (when I lived with my parents) for a few weeks. Mostly it died off, but after I told him in no uncertain terms that I wanted him to never contact me in any way again, and that if he did I'd get a restraining order, he quietened down for a few months before it started again.

He contacted me anonymously (yet signed his name) on a blog site, claiming I had told people lies about him, which I hadn't (later discovered it was his next girlfriend who said those things), and threatened legal action for "slander". Again, it quietened down.

My then boyfriend complained of problems with his motorbike and a few weeks later someone I knew confided in me that my ex was going around boasting that he had put Vaseline on my boyfriend's brakes. My boyfriend and I have since moved a fair distance away and haven't bumped into him since.

It's been a few years since then. Now he has added me on Facebook. This is not something I can't handle; I've blocked him and marked him as "Unwanted Contact", but if he persists, should I or can I consider a restraining order or other options? What options are open to me?

MitchKoobski

If her persists then you can get a restraining order against him. Theres already been cases where restraining orders have been taken against people for the likes of Facebook.

Lushful

MitchKoobski wrote: »

If her persists then you can get a restraining order against him. Theres already been cases where restraining orders have been taken against people for the likes of Facebook.

Okay, that's good to know, thank you. Don't suppose you know where I can find a bit more information on restraining orders? I assume I'd need to go to court and frankly the idea is a bit daunting, but if it comes to it I want to be informed.

humanji

Would it not be an idea to go to the guards now and tell them everything? I don't think they'll be able to do anything (although, the vaseline on the brakes is fairly serious) but if you have it down in writing that you've made a complaint against him, then it may go a long way towards obtaining a restraining order in future.

Lushful

humanji wrote: »

Would it not be an idea to go to the guards now and tell them everything? I don't think they'll be able to do anything (although, the vaseline on the brakes is fairly serious) but if you have it down in writing that you've made a complaint against him, then it may go a long way towards obtaining a restraining order in future.

I had considered this, but I guess I was worried I'd be seen as overreacting (though I agree that the Vaseline on the brakes is pretty bad, it was a while ago and I should've done something then). He lives in Northern Ireland though -- wouldn't that make a difference?

humanji

Well, as I said, it's more so you have something on paper. If you pop down to your nearest Garda station and ask them about it. This does happen quite a lot, so they'll be able to tell you what to do. I've no idea if the guy being in the North makes a difference.

OS119

Lushful wrote: »

I had considered this, but I guess I was worried I'd be seen as overreacting (though I agree that the Vaseline on the brakes is pretty bad, it was a while ago and I should've done something then). He lives in Northern Ireland though -- wouldn't that make a difference?

if he lives in NI he's subjest to the Harrassment Act - it says (very roughly) that if you consider it harrassment, it is. quite how you'd go about getting the protection of UK law without living in the UK is perhaps another matter...

definately time to see a solicitor though - repeatedly driving past you home without a good reason to be there would count as intimidation, and fidling with your BF's brakes sounds a lot like reckless endangerment of life to me...

make a chronolgical list of all his actions - with a note of how each action made you feel - take it to a solicitor, and then take them both to see the Gardai. might be worth engaging an NI solicitor and talking to PSNI, they might be able to 'demonstrate the error of his ways' in a manner that the Gardai wouldn't achieve by dint of being the local force.

E2A: theres a PSNI section on the ES forum - perhaps talk to them and see what they say about the cross border nature of your problem?

Lushful

OS119 wrote: »

if he lives in NI he's subjest to the Harrassment Act - it says (very roughly) that if you consider it harrassment, it is. quite how you'd go about getting the protection of UK law without living in the UK is perhaps another matter...

definately time to see a solicitor though - repeatedly driving past you home without a good reason to be there would count as intimidation, and fidling with your BF's brakes sounds a lot like reckless endangerment of life to me...

make a chronolgical list of all his actions - with a note of how each action made you feel - take it to a solicitor, and then take them both to see the Gardai. might be worth engaging an NI solicitor and talking to PSNI, they might be able to 'demonstrate the error of his ways' in a manner that the Gardai wouldn't achieve by dint of being the local force.

E2A: theres a PSNI section on the ES forum - perhaps talk to them and see what they say about the cross border nature of your problem?

Brilliant, thank you so much for all of this, I really appreciate it. I'll take a look and see what I can find. Again, thank you!