Cyberbullying on the Internet has been a very serious problem for years, not only because of the impact it has on the quality of life of many people, but also because He is responsible for many suicides. One of the most famous was the case of the Japanese fighter Hana Kimura, a young woman who, at the age of only 22, decided to take her own life after suffering a very serious case of cyberbullying.

young kimura he seemed to have everything She was a star and in top form, but unfortunately she was not mentally prepared for the wave of attacks she received through her social networks. According to experts, Kimura has already dragged on a case of depression, but in the end it is clear that the cyberbullying campaign she suffered was crucial for the fighter to decide to end her life.

The case had a major international impact and provoked huge outrage when it was discovered that even after her death, some people continued to insult her and they came to “celebrate” his death. They were punished with the equivalent of € 64, a fact that hit Kimura’s mother hard and was crucial for Japan to draft a law that provides for imprisonment for up to one year and fines of up to € 2,102 for crimes. ” insult ”and the limitation period was extended from one to three years. If all goes well, this reform will come into force this summer.

As a lawyer, this is a topic that has always seemed fascinating to me because of everything that comes with it, and also because it causes a lot of controversy among individuals. Most approach this from their own moral perspective, which leads to very different assessments, which in many cases lead to very dangerous “double meter”. So much so that a large proportion of users stop recognizing the severity of cyberbullying on the Internet until they suffer.

Cyberbullying is much more than an insult

From a legal point of view, not a moral one, defamation is a crime on the Internet and beyond, and therefore is prosecuted at both levels. The problem, however, is that when we talk about cyberbullying on the Internet, it presents a number of conditions that are different from those we face face to face, which means that it can ultimately achieve a level of severity that would be unthinkable outside the network.

Kimura’s case is a clear example of this and further confirms that cyberbullying on the Internet goes far beyond simple insultsand can cause a range of behaviors that ultimately suit the criminal type inducing suicide. This type includes a number of important requirements that are firmly rooted in doctrine, such as a minimum of knowledge on the part of the victim and the real influence of the active subject, in this case the harasser, which is direct, effective and sufficient. to persuade him to commit suicide when the victim did not think about it.

To understand each other, saying “you should die” is not enough to provoke suicide, but constantly crushing him to put the idea in his head, and this is where a lot of cyberbullying behavior fits. Given this fact, and having seen the seriousness of the cases that have taken place in recent years and their fatal consequences, I believe that we need a ‘hard hand’ for both criminal law reform and criminal law reform. control of major social networks.

Some may tell me it would be a form of censorship, but that would be completely wrong because freedom of expression is restricted by other fundamental rights, such as the right to honor. If, from your point of view, you think that insulting and harassment on the Internet fits into the concept of freedom of expression, you have a problem, quite serious.

I think my position is quite clear, but here you are the protagonists and for that reason respI invite you to leave your opinion in the comments. we read each other