Spain: Prison Sentence and Fine for Olivia García’s Online Stalker
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with the journalist who fought for six years for justice.
Location: Spain, Logroño
Date: July 19, 2023
Court sentences LaRioja2 journalist Olivia García’s online stalker for his years of harassment after a six-year legal process. His relentless insults and attempts to smear her reputation began after she wrote in support of the LGBTQI community. The Coalition For Women In Journalism hails the verdict as a victory. It sends a strong message to all those who continuously harass women journalists online.
An unnamed man was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 10,000 euros for two counts of harassment and two counts of serious insults against two women — journalist Olivia García and a sexology psychologist.
Starting in 2016, an online troll sent the journalist for Rioja2 hundreds of insulting messages and comments to smear her reputation and undermine her role as a journalist.
“I am clear that the attacks have come to me for being a woman, for being feminist, and for being a journalist, ” Olivia García told Spoonful on the online harassment she faced.
“I am clear that the attacks have come to me for being a woman, for being feminist, and for being a journalist”
According to the court judgment, the man disrupted García’s daily life by engaging in a persistent and insistent pattern of harassment against her. He constantly sent messages and comments to an online newspaper and social media platforms, calling García "sick, social cancer, stupid, abortion of public education, Femi-Marxist."
Additionally, he was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 8,400 euros for committing a hate crime against an LGTBQI collective.
García reported the harassment to the National Police in 2016, but the harassment continued. After publicizing and reporting the matter to the court, the National Police identified the stalker in December 2017.
Speaking about her pursuit for justice in 2017, García said, “I think that if social networks are a part of society, and I don't think that today anyone can doubt it, they should be legislated like the rest of society is. If something is a crime in a bar, it must also be a crime in a Twitter account.”
“ If something is a crime in a bar, it must also be a crime in a Twitter account”
In 2018, the man admitted to harassing journalist Olivia García for over two years on social media, using multiple Twitter profiles and false identities to post hurtful comments and insults.
The verdict established that the defendant used up to 15 false identities to post comments on social media and websites between 2016 and 2017, targeting LGBTQI individuals and advocates. His comments included statements such as "someone who promotes non-disorders like homosexuality or transsexuality in schools should be imprisoned," "These sick groups should be eradicated," and "Machete for all." He also made derogatory remarks against gender equality, sex education, and xenophobia.
La Rioja Press Association (APR) hailed the verdict as a significant step in the fight against the rampant harassment that many journalists face on social media and other digital platforms.
Online smear campaigns against women journalists.
Women and LGBTQI journalists are frequently the target of online harassment and smear campaigns. In 2023, CFWIJ documented 18 cases of online harassment or organized troll campaigns against women and LGBTQI journalists, including in Finland, India, and Serbia.
Those subjected to online harassment who decide to pursue justice often end up embroiled in a lengthy legal process without a desirable outcome. In March 2023, renowned Canadian radio host Joy Vance, stalked online for years, was disappointed when the court sentenced her harasser to twelve-months probation. Richard Sean Oliver stalked Vance for years, sending hundreds of threatening and sexualized messages to her, her colleagues, and guests on her radio show.
Olivia García endured a campaign of defamation and harassment that went beyond the boundaries of decency and respect. The defendant's offensive and deplorable language violated her dignity and undermined her activism to support equality and inclusion for the LGTBQI community. The Coalition For Women In Journalism applauds García for her courage and persistence to pursue her online stalker in court. Although we are concerned by how long the process for justice took, we commend the verdict. We believe the sentencing and hefty fines will send a strong message to those who think they can harass journalists online with impunity.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.