Abuser Outed On Facebook

We all know that the world of Facebook has meant a lot of people sharing a lot of personal information that maybe would be better off kept private. But one woman has used it to out her abuser in the hopes that she will help other women (as well as show evidence to incriminate the bastard).

The 19-year-old Argentinian, Daiana Sperdutti, posted photos of the aftermath of the physical abuse from her boyfriend. Apparently he had attacked her before, but she decided it was time it stopped.

She said, “Someone who claims to love you cannot do this to you. I’m uploading these pictures to give courage to other girls who have gone or are still going through what I’ve been through.”

First of all, I think it’s great that Sperdutti is pressing charges for this. Domestic violence is horribly awful and should be stopped, and we all know that most women take a long time to get the courage to leave their abusers, and even then most don’t press charges. She is absolutely taking a step in the right direction and I wish her luck.

I also think it’s great that she has created such an international dialogue about this. If domestic violence is so taboo that we can’t talk about it, then how on earth will people feel comfortable coming forward and asking for help? Sperdutti’s pictures and the fan page that’s been created have allowed people to have this dialogue and it will surely be helpful for other victims of abuse.

But I think we need to be cautious about using Facebook in this way. Not just for abuse, but for incriminating people for various crimes. Every horrible thing someone does to us should not be posted publicly for the world to see. Some people are especially spiteful and vengeful and will end up using photos or other online updates to incriminate someone who might be innocent or who might have done something that’s just not that bad. We won’t know the whole story, only one person’s perspective. There are many influences on people’s behaviour, and without knowing the whole story we can’t and shouldn’t make judgement. That is what the courts and juries are for.

Basically I think we need to be cautious about making people guilty before they are given a fair trial. But I do applaud her courage and I hope the bastard gets what he deserves.

Contact the author here: mack@morningquickie.com