Do justice yourself on Facebook: a technique that raises questions

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Laurie Fortin

Wednesday, 19 July 2017 17:21

UPDATE
Wednesday, 19 July 2017 17:21

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Shops and bars are now in the habit of publishing on social networks photos and video of suspected thieves or criminals. The objective of these retailers: find those responsible. But doing so has risks.

A restaurant-bar in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean has released a photo of a man on his page Facebook taken by a surveillance camera in the washroom of the establishment. In the publication, we can read: “do you recognize it?? We would like to talk to him.

Contacted by phone, the owner of the establishment in question has explained to TVA News want to find the individual for a case of vandalism and would not have contacted the authorities to let the chance to the man to surrender.

“If we had proof that the person is really guilty of this crime, it would not be a problem. In this publication, Facebook, there is no criminal act noted. If we search for other reasons by broadcasting his face and suggesting things to people, it can become a problem of defamation,” said Me Dominic Bouchard.

If the owner would, for example, blackmailing the man in him asking for money in exchange for his silence, that is to say, by not referring to it not the crime to the authorities, the case would become illegal.

“It must first pass by the police authorities. If you are in search of an individual for theft and that the merchant wants to arrange with him with interest, it is dealing with a criminal act,” said mr. Bouchard.

Justice itself is a legal procedure that has its risks.