By Ava Cashmore
A woman has been fined and convicted after a targeted online harassment campaign against another mother.
The accused mother appeared in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 9 May.
The court heard that on 10 January, at approximately 11.20am, she contacted the victim advising that the victim’s son should be tested for autism.
When the victim responded that she was not interested, she continued messaging her.
Feeling harassed, the victim eventually blocked the accused’s messages.
In response, the accused posted about the victim on TikTok, which the court noted caused significant emotional distress.
The following day, on January 11 at 9.20am, she sent further messages to the victim’s mother via Facebook Messenger.
These private messages were regarded as a continuation of her aggressive online behaviour, and added to the victim’s emotional strain.
In an police interview, she said that the initial interactions were more of a “conversation”, and provided “no comment” responses regarding the TikTok video and Facebook messages.
The offender had a prior history of “a similar flavour”, magistrate Matthew Page noted, including incidents involving Facebook messages, TikTok activity, and private online conversation.
An intervention order had previously been issued against her in relation to earlier misconduct.
Mr Page noted her financial situation and intent to turn her life around, including her stated plans to study child care, but the gravity and repetitive nature of the offending could not be ignored.
“In my view, the offending is too serious to not record a conviction,” Mr Page said.
“There was a previous finding of guilt for a matter of a similar flavour.
“It is above public shaming. There is no good reason for such conduct.”
The content of the posts, coupled with her continued attempts to contact and blame the victim’s family, were seen as evidence of sustained harassment.
The court heard that the Facebook page was “way over a level of just being concerned,” and contributed to the seriousness of the matter.
While her character references and stated career aspirations did not assist her in avoiding a conviction, the court opted for a $500 fine and placed her on a good behaviour bond.
The accused is currently on Centrelink benefits, and her financial situation was taken into consideration when deciding an appropriate fine.
Mr Page described the conduct as “beyond public shaming”, citing its targeted and sustained nature.
The offending warranted a recorded penalty to reflect the seriousness of the actions and deter similar conduct, he said.
The accused appeared in court via online link.
Meanwhile, the victim expressed through her legal representative that she had experienced ongoing emotional distress and anxiety as a result of the incident.
