an example of free speech in italy vs. the USA (note the former is more restricted)

[paulsby]

amanda knox's parents are being investigated for DEFAMATION. for... wait for it... for alleging that the police physically abused their daughter.

"PERUGIA, Italy (AP) - The parents of Seattle student Amanda Knox are being investigated for alleged defamation for saying Italian police abused their daughter before arresting her in the 2007 slaying of her British roommate.

Curt Knox told AP Television News on Saturday that he and his ex-wife, Edda Mellas, received notice of the investigation Friday as they arrived in Italy for the final week of hearings in their daughter's case.

He said he found the timing odd, given that a verdict in the case is expected at the end of the week.

Italian news agency ANSA said Knox's parents were being investigated for alleged defamation stemming from an interview they gave Britain's Sunday Times in June 2008 in which the father alleged police had physically and verbally abused his daughter during questioning before she was arrested."


this kind of lawsuit is not even possible in the US due to the "actual malice' standard for suing public officials. think of the literally hundreds of cases where people accuse the police of x,y or z. no defamation suits are filed by the police here. in italy, criticize the police and claim they did x, and you risk an investigation.

the article does not say whether the defamation in italy is a civil charge or criminal charge.

note also that many other countries (france) have similar restrictions.

in france, you can be charged with "outrage à agent" . call a cop names and he can arrest you and you will be charged. happens all the time.

cherish our freedoms. cherish free speech

[imdjh]

1. As tempting as it is, to be able to punish morons for making outrageous and....

... completed unfounded and irrational allegations about police officers, it's probably better our way. What I would like to see are charges brought against spineless states attorneys who file charges based in public outcry and not common sense.

[izquierdista]

2. Yes, very "free"

Call a cop names in the US, and he WILL arrest you (and maybe beat the shit out of you) and phony charges will later be dropped. Happens all the time.

[paulsby]

5. i've been called names hundreds of times

and not made an arrest. i once had a guy say "i'll rip your head off and piss down the hole" etc. whatEver.

i am more than sure that on occasion, some cops go overboard and arrest somebody who insulted them.

the operative difference is that they are violating the law when they do so. in france, it's a CRIME to do so.

and in no case, can the police SUE somebody for claiming excessive force, etc. note that in the instant case, it's allegations made by people who weren't even there (the parents) when the alleged abuse happened. so, there is NO way they could be sued in the US, among other reasons, because you would have to prove they KNEW the abuse never happened.

[anonymous171]

3. A lot of European countries have similiar laws.

Maybe it's a cultural thing? :shrug:

[paulsby]

6. yes. respect for authoritah is often enforced

"via the barrel of the gun"

my point isn't to say that france or italy is some sort of fascist hellhole. i LOVE france (never been to italy). it's just to show that contrary to the meme here of "the US is much less enlightened (etc.) vs (insert european country here)" that is the subject of countless threads and posts, that in SOME respects, it's BETTER in the US, just like in some respects it's better in (insert country here).

just to counter that attitude that it's always worse here.

in regards to speech rights, that is one area where the US shines. (unless you actually support hate speech laws, etc.).

universal healthcare? not so much

[cowcommander]

4. Italy is hardly a shining example of freedom

Their politics is unbelievably corrupt, the prime minister is a mafia boss!

[mix]

7. But this is very different than your defense of Rush's "right"

to advocate publicly for a coup d'etat, isn't it, in violation of federal law (the Smith Act)?

Not all countries have the same speech rights, distinct histories see to that.

Nor are all speech issues the same here in the USA...some involve sedition.