Re: Dear Joan ...

On 3 Dec, 20:41, Des <d...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:



And isn't implication actionable? Let's say you
worked in a bank, and I printed out posts you'd made about firearms (as an
example), sending them to your employer with newspaper clippings about bank
robberies. Wouldn't that be akin to implying that you were involved?

No. Not unless you made a statement, verbal or otherwise. You'd just
be doing your duty as a concerned citizen.

I don't believe this,

<Losing patience>

Believe it. Were this not so, every sign you see saying: "See a
suspicious object? Report it to a member of staff" could be
actionable, by your lights. As would every piece of information
supplied to the police. As would every case of some worried soul
reporting someone acting suspiciously.



Nor should anyone forget that the 'age of consent' in France is fifteen,
and so the comments about my sister-in-law were in no way unlawful or even
'immoral'. Indeed, my wife used to ask in English, upon seeing her sister
on the beach, 'hasn't she got awesome tits?'

There is a difference between what is illegal and what is
inappropriate behaviour.

See above. Newsgroup postings do not constitute 'inappropriate behaviour'
towards pupils.

<Losing more patience> You inserted "towards pupils" yourself. I did
not use those words, because - unlike you - I am being very careful
and specific in what I write. Unlike you, I am not twisting what
others say I say.


Well, yes - you could take action, and deny you ever made them, but that
would open an even larger can of worms. IIWY I'd simply ignore her, and
reflect on what statements you've made about others, over the years,
which could be considered actionable.

I genuinely don't believe that I've committed defamation on here. I've
called many a poster a ***, but if you can recall one instance where I
made genuinely defmatory statements along the lines of 'you're a
kiddie-fiddler', then I'd be interested in hearing it.

I always take great care not to break French law, which is far stricter
than English law (AFAIK) on matters relating to defamation.

Another bubble goes pop. The law may be stricter in France (I don't
know), but I can assure you that it is way, way harder to get off a
defamation hook here in Britain than just about anywhere because of
the way the legislation *works*. It is the *only* civil offence tried
before a jury, and the burden of proof thing is a bugger, too. Oh, and
no legal aid, either. Trust me on this, as I've been on the receiving
end of a few writs over the decades. Occupational hazard, I'm afraid.

Indeed. Which was my point.

Ask yourself
why, in the face of some of the most vicious provocation that anyone on
Usenet has ever had to suffer, I never go past the 'you're a fuckwit', or
'you're a wanker' type of post.

ISTR you accused Nige of being a fraudster, or similar.

I pointed out that he had deceived an ebay buyer. Truth is a defence, I
believe.

He did nothing fraudulent.


PS didn't you claim that you 'only s[aw me] when [I] morph' ?

I use Google at work. I see everything here.

OK. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that if the situation were reversed and I were
threatening to report a teacher here for 'kiddie fiddling', you'd be
telling me to 'grow up' or something.

Nobody is suggesting accusing you of anything. See my earlier posts.
It is being suggested that some of your postings be submitted to
certain authorities, as cause for concern. Different animal.

But I've consulted a few mates who are lawyers, and the advice is, 'let it
happen, and then have her charged with 'dénonciation calomnieuse'.

If you told them precisely what I have outlined to you, which I
seriously doubt, then this would not be their conclusion.

Once again, you are setting yourself up to appear a victim. You have
blithely dismissed my pointing out that reporting a genuine concern is
not per se actionable. You have added words to my quotes; words I did
not use. And, FWIW, I have genuinely raised an eyebrow myself at some
of your postings about your pupils. No more than that: just a reaction
along the lines of: "Hm. I really would not have said that myself."
.