Courts / Dublin / Report

Contempt of court proceedings against Facebook and Twitter over Kriegel posts struck out

Date
2019-11-22
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Lucan
County
Dublin

Summary

In November 2019 the Central Criminal Court struck out contempt of court proceedings against Facebook Ireland Limited and Twitter International Company that had been brought over the sharing of the identities of the two 15‑year‑old boys who murdered schoolgirl Ana Kriegel. The injunction, originally imposed by Mr Justice Michael White on 19 June 2019 and extended by Mr Justice Paul McDermott on 26 July 2019, required the platforms to remove any photographs or material identifying the boys. The court noted that the injunction had been discharged and the proceedings struck out after the boys' sentencing on 5 November 2019, with the platforms having cooperated in removing offending material and halting its proliferation online. The court also confirmed that any breach of the injunction would constitute contempt of court and a criminal offence under the Children Act 2001.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Contempt of court proceedings against Facebook and Twitter over Kriegel posts struck out. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Unnamed boy

Defendant

Outcome: The teenage boy who murdered and violently sexually assaulted Ana has been sentenced to life with a review after 12 years with his earliest possible release date being June 2031. His accomplice, who lured the "lonely and vulnerable" 14-year-old to an abandoned farmhouse and watched as she was sexually assaulted, was sentenced to 15 years detention with a review after eight years.; At a brief hearing this morning, Mr Grehan told Mr Justice White that the matter in which the court granted injunctions on June 19 had been mentioned a number of times before the court since then and was adjourned with the consent of the parties pending finalisation of sentence.

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Central Criminal Court
Secondary Mention
Facility
  • Glenwood House
Incident

Topics

Stage Sentence

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