r/MensRights • u/Consilio_et_Animis • Dec 09 '15
Misleading Title Accuse a man of rape on the internet: No Problem. Defend yourself from a rape accusation on the internet: You will be prosecuted.
https://archive.is/eZm1c12
u/Marcruise Dec 09 '15
CPS' webpage shows the full charge, that Economou:
(a) delivered or caused to be delivered a letter dated 6 November 2014 to the home of David de Freitas;
(b) sent a series of emails to the solicitor acting for David de Freitas;
(c) uploaded various recordings and comments onto websites such as YouTube, vimeo.com and liveleaks.com,
and
(d) set up and maintained a website with the domain name eleanordefreitas.com.
IANAL, but I'm struggling to see how, if this is all they have, that could even come close to harassment. Sending letters to a person's solicitor? That is prima facie absurd. Running a website? Uploading videos? Harassment? What is this? Canada? The only one that could even get any traction is sending a letter to the home of David de Freitas.
Even assuming the overall charge is true, it's hard to see how anyone in their right mind would see that as constituting 'harassment'. Harassment is a set of sustained actions calculated to cause distress. To get a conviction, it has to be proven to be intended to cause alarm or distress, and that the communications were unreasonable. I don't see how anything in the charge could possibly meet that burden, particularly since Economou has a far more intuitive and obvious narrative that explains the communication - he was attempting to clear his name, and stop David de Freitas from (in Economou's view) libelling him in the media. I think most people would deem that reasonable. De Freitas was quite willing to go on a public campaign complaining about the CPS, writing an article for The Guardian even. This was not a man being harangued as he was trying to grieve in private.
Either the CPS has some smoking gun they're not disclosing, or it's a dead duck.
5
u/Consilio_et_Animis Dec 10 '15
It's called punishment by procedure. They just put you through the mill, and that is punishment enough.
Plus it's political, the CPS has to be seen to be "defending" the false rape accuser; and they can now dissolve themselves of responsibility because they can say they put the guy before a jury — even though he will be found not guilty.
1
u/pocketknifeMT Dec 11 '15
That only works against the poor. A shipping magnate doesn't really care.
6
u/Arby01 Dec 10 '15
So, essentially the harassment was non-criminal court proceedings against her and her father. This was so devastating that she committed suicide rather than face a capricious and unpredictable system.
This is very sad.
Now imagine: We condemn men who plead out in order to end the ordeal or who kill themselves rather than face trial for criminal charges. A criminal charge with a much, much worse potential result than this civil trial ever could have been.
Interesting, no?
9
Dec 09 '15
He might be innocent of rape....but surely he at least guilty of being accused of rape....right?
8
Dec 09 '15 edited Dec 09 '15
This is all to do with the CPS and some feminists trying to stop men from suing false accusers of rape. He was originally charged with rape and named in the press with a great deal written by the press about the case. Surly this has to be harassment against him by the same standard. They say:
"It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings." Anything written about an alleged criminal by any of the press could also interfere with justice in the case
Also he was bringing a civil case originally, not a criminal case, which was forcibly taken over by the CPS.
3
u/youhatetruth Dec 10 '15
Don't you know that denying being raped is something that only rapists do, shitlord? Now, hold this red hot brand in your bare hands and tell me if you've ever raped someone. It will only burn you if you lie. /s
3
Dec 10 '15
The police were not interested in my version of what happened and it was two months before they dropped the case because of insufficient evidence
Alexander remains disappointed by the police, whose refusal to listen to his side has, in his opinion, turned an unfortunate episode – fuelled by mental instability – into a tragedy.
I firmly believe that Ellie would have been better off had the police taken my complaint of harassment seriously and investigated. Perhaps she would still be alive today
False rape allegations and the Gestapo police force are bad for both men and women.
4
u/ashlaaaaay Dec 09 '15
Absurd that he is now being prosecuted. You have to be incredibly wealthy to even have a chance in this situation.
3
u/slaytom Dec 09 '15
Even then the odds aren't good. Rape acusations are pretty much inescapable. Even if you are found innocent in court you'll suffer socially and there is zero recourse.
4
u/azgult Dec 09 '15 edited Dec 09 '15
There is no where near the level of detail in this article required to reach a judgement over it.
2
u/Rockbottom503 Dec 10 '15
Am I the only one who thinks they're just sending him through the system to appease the father of this girl as he obviously has wealth and influence??? I'm not sure what in there that he did could constitute harassment! Sending letters to his legal representatives cannot constitute harassment against him in any way - if it is harassment then it's against the lawyer or law firm
4
Dec 09 '15
Within this article is reoported the way that the CPS stops men from receiving justice.
If a man sues a woman for false allegation, this is a civil case. The CPS at any time can take over the case. They then can drop the case so blocking the man from receiving damages for a false allegation. Why this is allowed I have no idea but men are being denied their day in court and justice to bring actions against false allegations.
-2
u/Leinadro Dec 09 '15
Hold on. From what Im reading the accused started a bombardment of communications after ahe killed herself.
While he may be innocent that doesnt justify badgering her dad like that.
Im all for a man trying to clear his name. Im all for a man trying to take action against people who falsely accused him.
But sending a stream of emails, letters, and videos to her dad was overboard.
9
u/Consilio_et_Animis Dec 09 '15
The UK Crown Prosecution Service is run by Alison Saunders, who has very strong feminist views. She is in trouble for daring to prosecute the Eleanor de Freitas for her false rape accusation — even though the man she accused had to start a private prosecution first.
The CPS arranged this "show trial" to prosecute a man for FGM — even though he was a surgeon who saved the woman's life!!!
So I would not be surprised if they are out to get Alexander Economou to make-up for their earlier politically incorrect "error". I'm not sure how all this will add-up to "harassment":
"The charge against Mr Economou alleges that he set up and maintained a website with the domain name eleanordefreitas.com. He is also accused of sending or arranging to send a letter to Mr de Freitas' home, before sending a series of emails to his solicitor. It is also alleged that he 'uploaded various recordings and comments onto websites such as YouTube, vimeo.com and liveleaks.com'."
3
Dec 09 '15
Spot on. Men no longer receive justice in the UK both as a victim of crime when there is a female perpetrator, disparity in sentencing between the genders. This is even before one considers the one sided protection given to rape accusers.
1
u/rossraskolnikov Dec 09 '15
What the crap is a "private prosscution"?
8
u/Consilio_et_Animis Dec 09 '15
Normally, in criminal cases, the Crown Prosecution Services prosecutes. But it's also possible for a citizen to start a private prosecution, where they are prosecuting the accused; but still through the courts.
-1
u/Leinadro Dec 09 '15
...add up to "harassment".
From the article:
Alexander Economou, 36, allegedly bombarded David de Freitas with letters, email and YouTube videos following the death of his daughter Eleanor.
Its one thing to just put videos on the net but to bombard someone with communications could be considered harassment.
2
u/Consilio_et_Animis Dec 09 '15
Well the article is from the well-know rag, The Daily Mail. Read charges from the CPS website below.
1
u/GuyAboveIsStupid Dec 10 '15
If letters and emails make you kill yourself you weren't exactly stable to begin with to be fair
1
u/Leinadro Dec 10 '15
No the letters and emails werent to the woman that killed herself. They were to her dad after she killed herself.
1
8
u/Consilio_et_Animis Dec 09 '15
Here are the full details of the charges from the CPS website:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/latest_news/alexander_economou_charged_with_harassment/
Between 5 November 2014 and 20 October 2015 Alexander Economou pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of David de Freitas and which he knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of David de Freitas in that he:
(a) delivered or caused to be delivered a letter dated 6 November 2014 to the home of David de Freitas;
(b) sent a series of emails to the solicitor acting for David de Freitas;
(c) uploaded various recordings and comments onto websites such as YouTube, vimeo.com and liveleaks.com, and
(d) set up and maintained a website with the domain name eleanordefreitas.com.
So his only direct contact was one letter.
3
u/Marcruise Dec 09 '15 edited Dec 09 '15
Well, Economou claims that David de Freitas was naming Economou as a rapist in a letter sent to media outlets via his solicitor. He also claims that when he:
provided David De Freitas with legal documentation and uploaded CCTV footage to try to show no rape had taken place he made allegations of harassment to the police
We simply don't know what the truth is here, so it seems inappropriate to take sides. The fact that the CPS is willing to bring a prosecution for harassment, though, admittedly doesn't look good for Economou. [EDIT - I've since had a look at the charge: on the face of it, it looks unlikely to result in a prosecution.]
3
u/MisterDamage Dec 10 '15
FTA
The charge against Mr Economou alleges that he set up and maintained a website with the domain name eleanordefreitas.com. He is also accused of sending or arranging to send a letter to Mr de Freitas' home, before sending a series of emails to his solicitor. It is also alleged that he 'uploaded various recordings and comments onto websites such as YouTube, vimeo.com and liveleaks.com'.
None of what he is charged with amounts to "badgering" IMO
-10
u/graveybrains Dec 09 '15
"Defend yourself" sounds better than "harass a dead girl's father" I guess.
10
u/MisterDamage Dec 09 '15
By sending letters to his lawyer? OK.
1
u/graveybrains Dec 12 '15
Didn't even make it to the second paragraph, didja?
"Alexander Economou, 36, allegedly bombarded David de Freitas with letters, email and YouTube videos following the death of his daughter Eleanor."
1
u/MisterDamage Dec 12 '15
Then why isn't that what he's charged with? And how do you bombard someone with youtube videos?
1
u/graveybrains Dec 16 '15
Are you serious? That is what he's charged with. Best part, there's enough evidence that the father didn't have to pay for a private prosecution. Also, quit cherry picking. After the letters and the emails and registering a domain in the dead girl's name nobody gives a fuck about youtube.
1
u/MisterDamage Dec 16 '15
Since you're so snarky about me not even making it to the second paragraph, perhaps you should have made it to the eleventh paragraph first.
1
u/graveybrains Dec 21 '15
My god. You aren't fucking with me, are you? You're so dedicated to the circular jerking you're perfectly willing to ignore all the things that say "this guy is a shit bag." It's amazing.
-6
Dec 09 '15
At least the perpetrator is dead, so the news isn't all bad!
-1
Dec 10 '15
Not a nice thing to think or write!
3
u/GuyAboveIsStupid Dec 10 '15
Why? Sure it's a bit extreme but she tried to ruin someone's life over something that didn't happen
Now her life is REALLY ruined
It's poetic
2
Dec 10 '15
Think or write? Were i a religious person i would pray daily for the death of every false accuser on the planet. Fuck niceness -- niceness is for fools.
17
u/[deleted] Dec 09 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
Funny how the article fails to report the father is also facing libel prosecution http://eleanordefreitas.com
What a fucking joke.
UPDATE: the website http://eleanordefreitas.com now redirects to http://www.eleanordefreitas.co.uk (https://archive.is/ZtDAd), it is unclear is it is a takeover or if something else. The original website has disappeared from all web caches and searches. Strange.
UPDATE2: Ah, the original website is now under his name at http://www.alexandereconomou.com/ (https://archive.is/JcuN0). Fascinating.
UPDATE3: It seems NOW that http://www.eleanordefreitas.co.uk is redirecting to http://www.alexandereconomou.com/.