Hlíðar rape case: No charges pressed against the two men
Following reports in Fréttablaðið, a public protest was organised outside the police headquarters in Reykjavik. Photo/mbl.is
The Reykjavik District Court prosecutor has decided not to press charges against the two men suspected of rape in an apartment in the Hlíðar district of the city in October. Another case against one of the men is still being processed at district court.
The Fréttablaðið newspaper published a story on its front page in November that the apartment had been especially fitted out for violence and that the attacks had been brutal.
Reports that the two men had been released from police custody angered the public and crowds gathered outside the police headquarters on Hverfisgata to protest. Numerous people also posted up photographs of the two men on Facebook, naming them, and a photo of the child of one of the men.
Vilhjálmur H. Vilhjálmsson, lawyers of one of the men said to mbl.is today that today's decision should serve as a reminder to the media not to play judge in cases such as this before it goes to a court of law. He also adds that the general public should also take heed and think twice before posting up judgmental comments on social media.
He added that he is looking into whether Fréttablaðið and its publishing company, 365 media, is liable for damages, as well as those people who distributed photographs of the two men and one of their children on the internet, stating that they were rapists.
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