can i go to the guards over this?

wet sand

Hi

Yesterday I was accused by a family member through Facebook that I was a drug addict and that I physically abused my ex girlfriend. Neither of this is true.

Can I go to the Guards about this?

Merkin

No you can't. What you can do is take a screen grab of the libel in question and go to a solicitor. A letter threatening legal action on foot of that should hopefully put a stop to it sharpish.

wet sand

Merkin wrote: »

No you can't. What you can do is take a screen grab of the libel in question and go to a solicitor. A letter threatening legal action on foot of that should hopefully put a stop to it sharpish.

Thank you.

LegacyUser

Merkin wrote: »

No you can't. What you can do is take a screen grab of the libel in question and go to a solicitor. A letter threatening legal action on foot of that should hopefully put a stop to it sharpish.

Are you absolutely sure guards can't get involved?

2 women I know got into a very nasty facebook row.
It escalated to the point where woman A exposed a very private secret about woman B's past. They know each other all their lives. It was something that I think could actually have been proven as true though if it came to it, as there would be a record of it although the record wouldn't be in this country Ireland.

Next morning woman A had not just one but 2 guards at her door in relation to what she had written about Woman B. Woman A explained to guards that the other woman had started it all with her very hurtful and disgusting insults which could clearly be seen online, the guards were nice to her but still told her she would have to take it down. It was just a chat really.

Woman B still had the original comments written about Woman A on her page, so Woman A defiantly and perhaps foolishly despite the guards chatting with her didn't remove her comments either.

Guards called a second time and told her that she would have to remove it or she could be in trouble. More stern this time around. She complained that it was unfair Woman B could keep her comments up etc but long story short,eventually the guards managed to get both parties to agree to remove comments.

So in this situation guards did get involved but I honestly don't know if this is because Woman B got a solicitor to get them involved (no solicitor ever contacted Woman A), if the guards just DO have the power to intervene here, or if maybe the guards got the complaint and were just doing woman B a favour because she showed up to them upset?

I don't know if a solicitor contacted the guards on woman B's behalf or not, but I know woman A was definitely never contacted directly with by any solicitor or legal firm.

Keane2baMused

I don't really see what the gardai could do in this situation?

My only advice would be to call into the local garda station and explain what happened and maybe they can keep a record of it should the relative make the accusation.

Otherwise it could just be taken as an empty threat by a p1ssed off relative who was trying to wind you up.

Miaireland

Check with Guards wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure guards can't get involved?

2 women I know got into a very nasty facebook row.
It escalated to the point where woman A exposed a very private secret about woman B's past. They know each other all their lives. It was something that I think could actually have been proven as true though if it came to it, as there would be a record of it although the record wouldn't be in this country Ireland.

Next morning woman A had not just one but 2 guards at her door in relation to what she had written about Woman B. Woman A explained to guards that the other woman had started it all with her very hurtful and disgusting insults which could clearly be seen online, the guards were nice to her but still told her she would have to take it down. It was just a chat really.

Woman B still had the original comments written about Woman A on her page, so Woman A defiantly and perhaps foolishly despite the guards chatting with her didn't remove her comments either.

Guards called a second time and told her that she would have to remove it or she could be in trouble. More stern this time around. She complained that it was unfair Woman B could keep her comments up etc but long story short,eventually the guards managed to get both parties to agree to remove comments.

So in this situation guards did get involved but I honestly don't know if this is because Woman B got a solicitor to get them involved (no solicitor ever contacted Woman A), if the guards just DO have the power to intervene here, or if maybe the guards got the complaint and were just doing woman B a favour because she showed up to them upset?

I don't know if a solicitor contacted the guards on woman B's behalf or not, but I know woman A was definitely never contacted directly with by any solicitor or legal firm.

Sounds like there more to that story than you have been told. Maybe the comments had threats of violence in them, which may have lead to the Gardai getting involved.

Otherwise I would guess one of the woman was friendly with some of the Gardai and asked them to have a word with the other woman as a personal favour to scare her(very unlikely that they would agree to do so though).

This is not a matter for the Gardai.