How we stopped a campaign of online defamation and harassment against a charity worker
In this case study, we reveal how our legal team put a stop to a Facebook smear campaign targeting a pair of community leaders. It illustrates what victims of online defamation, harassment and malicious falsehood can do to regain control and protect their reputations.
Online defamation and Facebook harassment: how a rival tried to destroy a charity's reputation
Legal strategy: tackling defamation and harassment head-on
Understanding the legal grounds: defamation, harassment, and malicious falsehood
How do defamation, malicious falsehood, and harassment interact in online legal disputes
Lawyers' thoughts about the case
Facing online defamation or harassment? We can help
Online defamation and Facebook harassment: how a rival tried to destroy a charity's reputation
When an online defamation and harassment campaign threatened to ruin the lives of two dedicated charity workers, our firm acted swiftly and decisively to bring it to an end. This case highlights the damage that can be done when malicious falsehoods are spread online, and how legal intervention can provide powerful protection and peace of mind.
Our clients, a married couple whom we’ll call Sam and Jenny, have devoted their lives to running a vibrant community centre in a small town. Since opening the centre in 2018, they’ve provided hot meals, companionship, and a safe space for people of all ages. Their reputation in the community was impeccable.
Unfortunately, not everyone welcomed their success. A local individual, "Mark" (not his real name), who managed a rival organisation, began a malicious campaign against Sam and Jenny. He ran onto the internet and began his vindictive attack with defamatory Facebook posts, implying they were involved in drug dealing and human trafficking.
Although the early posts used vague language, anyone familiar with the community centre could identify who he was referring to. Later, Mark explicitly named Jenny and labelled her a "safeguarding risk." His daughter also joined the campaign, posting defamatory comments and sending harassing emails. The couple approached the police and were given a crime reference number, but no further action was taken. The emotional toll was heavy- the future of their charity was at stake.
Legal strategy: tackling defamation and harassment head-on
In our initial consultation, it was clear that this was not an isolated incident but a deliberate and ongoing campaign of online defamation, harassment, and malicious falsehood. We explained to Sam and Jenny that although social media platforms like Facebook sometimes remove harmful content, their responses are often slow and inconsistent.
Instead, we advised a more direct and effective approach: a legal letter to both Mark and his daughter. This defamation cease and desist letter would outline the serious legal consequences of their actions and demand they stop immediately.
Understanding the legal grounds: defamation, harassment, and malicious falsehood
The cease and desist letter we issued accused Mark and his daughter of defamation under the Defamation Act 2013. They had made serious, false allegations that implied criminal conduct, which could cause severe consequences for Sam and Jenny, damaging personal and professional reputations.
We also cited harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Mark's repeated posts and communications were clearly intended to cause distress and anxiety, and the pattern of behaviour met the legal threshold for harassment.
In addition, we pursued a claim of malicious falsehood. This applies when false statements are published with malicious intent or reckless disregard for the truth, especially where financial harm may result. In this case, the charity centre’s reliance on public trust and support meant the false claims could seriously affect their funding and reputation.
Our immediate step was to prepare and send a formal legal letter outlining the gravity of the situation. The letter demanded that Mark and his daughter bring all defamatory and harassing activity to a complete halt. We required them to take swift action to remove every offending post, comment, and email that they had made about Sam and Jenny.
It was essential that they acknowledged the falsehood of their claims and issued a full and sincere apology, accompanied by a public retraction. We also required a firm undertaking that neither of them would make any further mention of Sam and Jenny, either directly or indirectly, across any platform or communication.
In the letter, we emphasised the seriousness of the matter and left no doubt about our clients' willingness to pursue all legal remedies available to them. This included initiating formal court proceedings, applying for a legal injunction to prevent further publications, and seeking financial compensation for the considerable harm caused. The tone and substance of the letter were carefully crafted to convey that unless immediate compliance was received, the next steps would involve full litigation.
How do defamation, malicious falsehood, and harassment interact in online legal disputes
This case offers a prime example of how these three legal wrongs—defamation, malicious falsehood, and harassment—can overlap and reinforce one another in the context of an online reputational attack. Each legal concept addresses a different aspect of harm, but together they form a powerful framework for challenging sustained online abuse. Defamation focuses on protecting an individual’s reputation from false statements that cause serious harm.
In this case, the accusations of criminal behaviour—though entirely baseless—had the potential to destroy Sam and Jenny’s standing in their community. The threshold for defamation was clearly met, as the statements were published, untrue, and injurious to their reputations.
Malicious falsehood goes further by targeting the intent behind the statements. It is not enough that the information is false; the person publishing it must do so with malice or with reckless disregard for the truth. This claim is especially useful where financial or reputational damage has resulted from lies being spread. Given that Sam and Jenny’s community centre depends on public trust and support, the malicious intent behind the posts added a layer of legal vulnerability for the attacker.
Harassment, meanwhile, deals with the emotional and psychological toll of repeated unwanted conduct. Unlike defamation and malicious falsehood, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 does not require the statements to be untrue—it only requires a course of conduct that causes alarm or distress. The fact that the posts and emails were persistent and targeted meant that they crossed into the territory of harassment.
Understanding how these claims interact is essential. They provide different routes to justice but often overlap in cases of online abuse. Using them in combination, as we did in this case, creates a comprehensive legal response that protects not just the reputation but also emotional wellbeing and financial interests of victims.
Lawyers' thoughts about the case
This case stood out to us not only for the sheer malice of the online defamation campaign, but also for the resilience shown by our clients, Sam and Jenny. Despite the distressing nature of the allegations, they acted sensibly and decisively by seeking legal assistance at an early stage.
From a legal standpoint, the case was straightforward in the sense that the posts contained serious, untrue allegations that met the threshold for defamation, harassment, and malicious falsehood.
What made this case particularly meaningful was the social impact. Sam and Jenny had dedicated their lives to improving their community. To see their hard work under threat because of vindictive online lies was both troubling and unjust. It was incredibly rewarding to be able to step in and provide them with the tools to defend themselves.
The fact that a single, strategically written cease and desist letter brought an end to the harassment underscores the power of a well-prepared legal intervention.
It also shows how the law can act as a shield for those who are wrongly targeted online. As lawyers, we take pride in seeing our clients empowered and protected. This case is a reminder of how legal expertise, combined with swift action, can restore not only reputations but peace of mind.
Facing online defamation or harassment? We can help
At Cohen Davis Solicitors, we specialise in cases involving online defamation, cyberbullying, and internet harassment. Our legal team has helped countless clients restore their reputations and protect their wellbeing. If you’re facing a similar issue, contact us for a confidential consultation today. Call 020 7183 4123 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..