Angel Eklund: "An Expected Judgment"

The verdict against the woman who named and accused the comedian of sexual abuse in a secret Facebook group is in many ways similar to the verdict against the woman who named a famous director, and the verdict in the case of Cissi Wallin and Fredrik Virtanen. Therefore, the outcome was no surprise, says Ängla Eklund, a lawyer at the Institute of Law and the Internet.

- Different things are tried in the cases but it is based on the same circumstances so it was an expected judgment, she says.

Defamation is when you identify someone as a criminal or clandestine person and spread the information to other people. In some cases it may be justifiable to disseminate the information, if there is a great public interest, and this is something that has been tried in this case. Whether it is true or not is not crucial.

The information is disseminated in a closed Facebook group. Why is it still slanderous?

- We have seen in previous cases concerning a director who was also pointed out in a closed Facebook group and it does not play such a big role. It is enough to only write it to more than a limited number of people or the closest circle.

A difference between Tuesday's verdict in the comics case and the verdict against Cissi Wallin is that the woman convicted of slander by the comedian did not want to tell her what he should have exposed her to.

- It marks the district court's courage in the judgment, that it is strange. If you come up with these kinds of accusations then you need to be able to explain why.

However, Angel Eklund emphasizes that it does not mean that you are not allowed to tell anyone if you have been subjected to rape or sexual harassment.

- It is important to understand the difference: It is not about putting a gag. This is another judgment that says the same thing to many women who chose to tell during metoo, but it should be remembered that there were a few people who named people while there were endless many anonymous stories. You obviously have the right to your own truth and to turn to the judiciary and discuss with one another, says Ängla Eklund.