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A $1 million anonymous allegations lawsuit has been launched citing libel over an Instagram page that posts victims’ stories of sexual assault. The Instagram page, Victims Voices Regina, highlights allegations of sexual abuse including harassment or assault by Regina men. The page’s accusers name their alleged abusers in detailed claims of sexual assault. However, after warnings of legal repercussions, the owners of the Victims Voices Regina Instagram page deleted hundreds of posts from undisclosed accusers alleging sexual abuse.
The Instagram anonymous allegations lawsuit was launched by a teacher accused of sexual assault on the Instagram page, who is now suing for defamation. Two women maintain the Victims Voices Regina Instagram page. One of the women’s lawyers reportedly warned them to delete the Instagram posts that name the alleged abusers.
The anonymous allegations instagram page owners reportedly claim they did not know about the $1 million anonymous allegations lawsuit launched this month, but they did receive warnings that men incriminated on the page were planning to sue.
Anonymous Allegations Lawsuit Claims Defamation
Lawyers Sharon Fox and Madlin Lucyk of Nychuk & Company in Regina have reportedly said they filed the statement of claim on Aug. 10 on behalf of the teacher accused on the Instagram page. The Regina teacher is seeking $1 million in damages for the “untrue and defamatory allegations of sexual assault arising from the Victims Voices of Regina Instagram account,” according to CBC. The Instagram anonymous allegations lawsuit was filed against Facebook, the owner of Instagram, and the anonymous owners of the Victims Voices Regina page.
Lawyer Sharon Fox reports that the law firm is actively engaged with 10 more men looking to file similar anonymous allegation lawsuits.
The Instagram page owner alleges she deleted posts about sexual abuse on Aug. 25 to avoid an expensive lawsuit against her. She reports she does not explore the authenticity of the posts. In court, being sued for defamation would mean having to prove the sexual assault posts as truth. Proving the authenticity of the posts would require evidence and witnesses.
“We have named businesses, and we have named individuals, and while that’s an important part of the page, it does open us up to consequences,” she said about the nature of the sexual assault anonymous allegation posts.
Good Intentions with Possibly Irremediable Consequences
The Instagram page was started in July to raise awareness for several accusations of verbal sexual assault and misconduct against Jim Demeray. The mental health advocate was under investigation for the claims by CBC, but he argues the assertions against him are false. The anonymous allegations Instagram page has accused many high profile people including a city councillor, a musician, and non-profit community leaders. 
The owners of the Victims Voices Regina Instagram page report they knew that they were treading on risky legal waters by allowing anonymous users to post about accusing men of sexual assault, but they decided to press on.
There are many anonymous allegation Instagram pages across Canada being celebrated for creating a safe place for victims to tell their stories. While these pages’ bravery has been admired by victim advocates, it’s not without a price. A class action lawsuit was filed against a Facebook page that also published sexual assault stories against men by anonymous victims. One of the plaintiffs says his reputation has been shattered by the accusations.
The anonymous allegations Instagram page shared more than just posts. Users were able to send private messages and the accounts’ creators would publish screenshots with the accuser’s name removed. The stories often included the name and workplace of the alleged perpetrators. Now that charges have been filed, the page is reportedly only going to publish the initials of the accused and no other identifying information. According to the anonymous allegation Instagram page’s creator, many followers are angry that their story has been deleted following the warnings of legal action. They are also upset that posts will no longer name accusers.
The Jeopardous Nature of Online Anonymous Allegations
Publishing sexual assault accusations online without evidence can get dicey. Libel and defamation of character are serious offences. If users can post anonymously with impunity, then there is always a chance that untrue allegations can be thrown at innocent people.
A Regina lawyer named Andrew Hitchock was accused of sexual assault on the anonymous allegations Instagram page. He claims the allegations were completely false.
“I should receive an unequivocal apology and retraction and anonymous, public accusations should not be permitted to continue in a liberal democracy.”
Hitchock has hired a lawyer and is reportedly unhappy with the removal of the posts because the damage has already been done.
“While this is a relief…a malicious lie was posted about me that was seen by thousands of people,” says Hitchock.
He and his lawyers are finding it difficult to serve the page’s creators, as is the accused Regina teacher.
What do you think about anonymous allegations posted on Instagram or Facebook pages? Is this lawsuit against the owners of the Victims Voices Regina Instagram page fair? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
The plaintiff is represented by Sharon Fox and Madlin Lucyk of Nychuk & Company.
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