UK Woman Becomes First Person Ever To Be Convicted Of ‘Malicious Cyber-Farting’ Harassment
Warning: Don't send your boyfriend's ex farting videos — it's considered harassment.
Myroslava Malovana | Shutterstock What distinguishes a joke from an illegal act? With the onslaught of prank culture monetized on social media, it's become more difficult to distinguish, but one court in the U.K. is taking a stand. In what can only be labeled as weird news, a woman pled guilty to harassment after sending her boyfriend's ex a slew of videos that the BBC described as "fart selfies."
Rhiannon Evans got a little too involved in the drama around her boyfriend and his ex and made the "foul" choice (pun intended) of videoing herself passing gas into her phone and repeatedly sending those videos to the victim.
A UK woman was just convicted of 'malicious cyber-farting' harassment after sending a slew of videos to her boyfriend's ex because she felt he was being treated 'unfairly.'
25-year-old Rhiannon Evans freely admitted to police that she sent her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, Deborah Prytherch, fart videos over the span of several weeks. Imagine trying to keep a straight face in the courtroom as prosecutor Diane Williams’ described Evans' act of "placing the camera on her bottom and passing the gas."
In an attempt to defend her actions, Metro reported that Evans' attorney, Harriet Gorst, said, "There are some issues going on between Miss Evans’s partner and his ex-partner (Ms Prytherech) with regard to child contact. At the time she sent these videos, she had some drinks, and she sent them, understanding now this has caused the victim some distress. She sent them without malicious intent."
The prosecution disagreed, arguing, "It was purely malicious. She was smirking throughout. Found it hilarious, but the victim didn’t." In a statement, Prytherech expressed that she "would like to feel safe in my home." The court agreed, and magistrates ruled that Evans attend 15 rehabilitation sessions, 60 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring, and a two-year restraining order against contacting Prytherech. Evans was also ordered to pay £100 compensation and £199 costs, which totals around $373.
It's never a good idea to fight battles on behalf of your significant other, especially regarding their past relationships.
Should your partner be your best cheerleader and the person who always has your back? Yes, but that doesn't mean they should make things worse when it comes to domestic issues, especially when children from a former relationship are involved.
While we don't know the ins and outs of Evans' boyfriend and his ex's relationship, we do know that fetid phone contact is not the way to handle any situation, even if one partner adamantly feels like the underdog. NY-based clinical psychologist Suzanne Lachmann, Psy.D., explained, "When your partner has responsibilities that preceded you, what is best for you as a couple is to try to put as little pressure or expectation as you can on how your partner handles communication and connection with their ex." She went on to say, "By adopting a supportive role, you decrease the tension between your new partner and their ex, and that in turn will create a more comfortable, harmonious environment for you as a couple moving forward."
What Evans did was create more conflict, and that could inevitably backfire on her own relationship. Lachmann stressed, "As a new partner, as difficult as it may be, any way that you can allow yourself to encourage positive communication between your partner and their ex brings peace to your new home and creates a system that has significantly less hostility than would otherwise be the case." That does not include sending the ex-girlfriend harassing fart videos.
The woman does not appear to be taking her actions seriously despite the ruling against her.
In as much as the court could, they threw the book at Rhiannon Evans in an effort to help her help herself, so to speak. Unfortunately, she does not seem to have learned her lesson.
She told The Sun that the case against her was"petty" She added, “I never thought farting would land me in court. I think the sentence is a bit excessive and dramatic.” She went on to criticize society as a whole.“We are living in a very ‘snowflake’ generation. I sent the messages on WhatsApp. I do have regrets, but I wouldn't have thought I would be here for something like this, to be honest. It's petty."
As almost an afterthought, and contrary to her previous statement, she insisted, "I've learned my lesson.” Here's hoping that the rehabilitation sessions and two months of sobriety will give her some clarity regarding her actions. For now, Prytherech and the rest of the U.K. can breathe a much-needed sigh of relief that the long-winded stench of a lawsuit is over.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author with a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.