Defamation and Perjury (bad-mouthing someone in court)

EDIT INTRO AS NEEDED - THIS WAS WHEN SOMEONE ASKED “HOW CAN I SHARE MY STORY?” SO THE FIRST PARAGRAPH IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH HOW THEY WANT TO SHARE IT.

When you ask about how you can share it, I assume you are thinking of writing about what you’ve been through, either in a newspaper/book, or online like in a blog or Facebook? Or perhaps you are thinking of trying to get a reporter to interview you to write about you?

When someone wants to publish disparaging information about another person, there could be a risk about being sued for ”defamation,” regardless of whether the victim uses the abuser’s name or refers to the abuser in such a way that others will know it’s him/her even without using the name. In order to sue someone for defamation, they may need to show that the victim’s statement was false, that it was “published” to at least one other person, and that it negatively affected the person’s reputation within the community. Often, people who are revealing abuse or other negative truths about someone fear that they don’t have any “proof” to back up their account of what happened. Some things to consider when someone is trying to prove something is true are whether or not the incidents of abuse were ever told to others (such as friends, family members, or a therapist) either at the time the incidents occurred or at a later time; whether the incidents were written down anywhere (such as in a diary or calendar); and perhaps whether or not there are others who experienced similar incidents by the same perpetrator. However, even with all of that, a judge may decide it’s not enough if it came down to a court case. If this is what you were thinking about, it may be helpful to know a little but about “defamation,” which is often a concern for victims who want to speak out about the abuse and use the abuser’s name or refer to the abuser in such a way that others will know it’s him. They worry that if they speak out, they will be sued for money damages due to defamation by the abuser.

As a first step, you may want to contact an attorney in STATE who has experience with defending defamation cases can give you specific advice about your situation. Here is a link to free and paid lawyers in STATE (HYPERLINK). I am not sure if any of the free legal services would deal with this issue and so you may have to consult with a private lawyer to get someone knowledgeable about the topic. Often the Bar Association, where we link to on our website, will offer an initial consultation with a private attorney for a low price.