back to article Woman spanked for dissing ex in Facebook snapshot

A Spanish divorcée's purse is somewhat lighter after she posted photos on Facebook of herself wearing a t-shirt declaring "My ex-husband's an arsehole" - and was ordered to pay €1,000 damages for her trouble. According to local news reports, the 40-year-old slapped up the snaps in 2010. In December of that year, her former …

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  1. Audrey S. Thackeray

    I'm with stupid

    Surely by taking this to court he has rather proved her point.

    1. nichomach
      Unhappy

      Re: I'm with stupid

      Yes, but I expect that that's cold comfort for the woman he's just relieved of a grand.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Re: I'm with stupid

        On the plus side, the guy has just Streisand-effected himself into the whole world knowing he's an asshole. Well worth $1000, if you can afford it.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Re: Re: I'm with stupid

          ...also by taking her to court and proving the t-shirt's allegations there's excellent grounds for an appeal.

      2. Audrey S. Thackeray

        @nicomach

        Hmm, perhaps she should put the offending item on an auction site and use the media attention to drive the price up.

        Or start a line of "Only an arsehole would go to court over a t-shirt" t-shirts.

  2. Dotter
    Mushroom

    *eats popcorn*

    Oh Reg, how could you issue a challenge like that?

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Mushroom

      Re: *eats popcorn*

      I too am outraged that the Register considers it appropriate to use my finest personality traits in a general challenge, and particularly the way you say ‘conservatives, misogynists and mean-spirited bastards’ as though you think these are a bad thing.

      Fair play to you for using the truly gut wrenching insult of 'liberal', and particularly given that is now reliably categorised on the Internet as an infectious mental disorder. It is therefore with some concern that in spite of reading this article 4 times I find myself siding against the plaintiff…… This causes some pain as it is without doubt against my basic misogyny, conservative and mean spirited nature.

      Could that be a contagious mental disorder above? Ah well nearly the weekend, a battery recharge, outdoor pursuits, some other diversionary fetishes, and the Monday neo fascist may happen. Fingers crossed.

  3. Craig 12

    Not faux outrage, but...

    Unless he was named on the t-shirt, it's bit of a push to say it was an publicly observable insult to one individual.

    A class action for all ex-husbands everywhere would have made more sense...

    1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      ...class action for all ex-husbands everywhere...

      To be directed against the makers of the t-shirt, presumably?

      Paris, because I bet she has ex's everywhere.

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. fLaMePrOoF
        Boffin

        Re: "A bit of a push to say it was an insult to one individual"

        " it was the woman's CURRENT partner who bought it for her"

        1. Jedit Silver badge

          Re: Re: "A bit of a push to say it was an insult to one individual"

          Hmmm, I could have sworn it was her ex. I must have misread.

      2. Sir Runcible Spoon

        Sir

        @Jedit

        Probably not, it depends how many ex-husbands the woman has.

        Who said it was hers? Perhaps she borrowed it from her friend down the street.

        I also think you may have mis-read the article.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "A bit of a push to say it was an insult to one individual"

        "As regards just where the very expensive comedy t-shirt came from, this report says it was the woman's current partner who bought it for her, as a "joke" present when they were on holiday on Spain's Mediterranean coast back in 2009. ®"

        .....current partner who bought it for her....

    3. TeeCee Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: Not faux outrage, but...

      Don't you mean a no-class action?

  4. Bakunin
    Facepalm

    Hardly a court matter

    "I don't understand how the complaint could have ended in court. It's only a t-shirt."

    I'm inclined to agree. Pity they've ended up in such an acrimonious relationship, but sometimes people say things about you that you don't like. Just shrug it off and get on with life.

    Do we really need every insult and jibe to end up in court?

    1. Denarius
      IT Angle

      Re: Hardly a court matter

      oh yes it is ! everyone has the right to be completely unoffended by everything, especially if it means they can inflict their own mental or moral poverty on everyone else. No-one should be ever frightened or scared. So said one of Oz chief meddlers/public funded pest do-gooders a year or so ago. Best demonstration of the need for natural de-selection heard ? Queue RH quote...

      Bring out the fluffy bunnies discussion, except rabbits are a major ecological pest in Oz. What about animal rights; drat, cant even sign off without offending someone.

    2. Guus Leeuw
      Pint

      Re: Hardly a court matter

      It is a court matter. Hundred percent.

      The next time somebody writes something about a Guus Leeuw and makes that Guus Leeuw do stupid things, I'll go after the author in a Spanish Court.

      Because according to this lawsuit, freedom of speech is no more, if we may believe the judge. There is no mention of the ex being the subject of this brutal t-shirt-based attack...

      Maybe I can go to court over the T-Shirt I bought myself: "My wife says I never listen or something like that" and get my wife some jailtime... Ah maybe not...

      Or what's the other fun shirt she has? Nelson shouting "Ha Ha!". Clearly an insult...

      Well, at least I know my next holiday is in Spain :D There's money to be had there.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ???

    Maybe not 'asshole', but she could probably get away with 'whiny little bitch' and be accurate IF she actually had his name on it this time around.

  6. Ru
    Unhappy

    Not just the UK

    I'm not sure if it is a good thing that there are other jurisdictions that are equally daft about defamation.

  7. Michael Hawkes
    Headmaster

    ONLY a t-shirt?

    It's not ONLY a t-shirt. It's a sentiment. If it were only a t-shirt, nothing would be printed on it.

  8. Imsimil Berati-Lahn
    WTF?

    Fined 1000 Euros for posting it...

    ...but I didn't read anywhere that she was asked to remove said photo.

    I suppose it goes without saying, but I'm just asking.

  9. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Hooksie

      It was her current squeeze that bought it for her and for all we know he either took her to the cleaners or in some other way made her life hell. My sister is more than 5 years divorced but because of kids still has to put up with constant fuckwittery from her ex.

      This woman may just have started a new craze :)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        quote Hooksie: "It was her current squeeze that bought it for her and for all we know he either took her to the cleaners or in some other way made her life hell. "

        where is it stated that her current partner (specific phrase used in article) is a(nother) male? it could very well be that the current partner is a female ;)

  10. Hooksie

    Asshole sounds about right

    What's the world coming to when you can't call someone an asshole in a public forum without being sued! Especially in this case where you would have to know who the guy was and that she was his ex-wife??? I did speak to my wife about it (she's Mexican) and she said that in Mexico that's not much of an insult but in Spain it is.

    The guy clearly proved that he IS in fact, an asshole, because he couldn't just take a joke. Why not have a t-shirt himself saying "My ex-wife is a money grabbing whore" or something equally offensive? Mi exmarida es puta?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Asshole sounds about right

      There's an old joke:

      The various body parts were discussing who was most important:

      The hands said "Without us, you wouldn't get any food!"

      The eyes said "Without us, you couldn't FIND food!'

      The brain said "Without me, you wouldn't know what food was!"

      The asshole said "I think I'm pretty impor..."

      and the rest of the body said "SHUT UP, ASSHOLE!"

      And so the asshole did: he shut up. Nothing passed. For days.

      And the hands grew shaky.

      And the eyes grew watery and blurry.

      And the brain grew feverish.

      So remember: just because somebody's an asshole doesn't mean they don't have an important job to do, or that they can't make your life a living hell.

    2. Daniel B.

      Oh, that word...

      Gillipollas is a non-word in Mexico. In fact, Mexicans who haven't had any contact with Spaniards probably think it's a kind of chicken (pollo) or something.

      I had to throw away the Spanish version of Wizard and Glass after I found out that they translated 'motherfucker' and 'asshole' as 'gillipollas', which ruined the insults and made them sound lame.

      Mind you, the same will be said in South America about 'pendejo', which means 'brat' over there, but something much more akin to 'asshole' in Mexico. (In fact, it means 'ass hair').

  11. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Facepalm

    FFS!

    Some of my teachers were arseholes!

    Some of my ex-coworkers were arseholes!

    I have met a lot of obnoxious arseholes in my time, in all walks of life.

    My kids can be a pain the arse, outright arseholes when they want to push my buttons.

    I can be an arsehole when the right mood takes me!

    You don't like it? Tough, truth hurts. Sue me!

    From getting duffed in the playground to abuse from people who simply don't like you, we've become a society of cry babies, who at the drop of a hat go running to Mummy, or in the case of adults, the courts. "Boo hoo! The big-boys and girls are picking on me! Make them go away!".

    Now don't get me wrong, there some serious issues, domestic abuse, ingrained racial abuse, etc, that do need serious and proper attention to ensure it's brought to the public attention and those perpetrating it are brought to book, but some whiny little cry-baby like this guy? Grow a back bone!

    Flame on!

    1. Mark 65

      Re: FFS!

      Agreed. Modern society - take a teaspoon of concrete and "harden the f*ck up" as uncle chopper says (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y)

  12. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Go

    My faux outrage is building so fast I am in danger of turning green, putting on 75 stone and raging across the East End in torn short pants. Arrrggghhh...

    1. Chronos

      @NoneSuch

      What, you're going to sign on as an extra on East Enders?

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well I'm on his side

    You should see the torrent of vindictive inaccurate slanderous unfounded drivel my soon to be ex-wife is posting on facebook about me. People who post comments of this nature in semi-public environments only have themselves to blame when it comes back to bite them on the arse.

    Anonymous for the fairly obvious reason that my ex has no idea that I can read what she posts :-)

  14. b0llchit Silver badge
    WTF?

    A T-shirt

    It is a fucking T-shirt, who gives a fuck?

    The toes must have been long on that ex, stretching from pole to pole...

  15. TRT Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    Would...

    c**t have been a better translation? You know, in terms of emotional impact?

    Paris, because she knows about cunning stunts.

  16. Semaj
    Thumb Down

    It really seems like we are reaching the stage where everyone seems to think it is their right to be able to go through life never being offended by anyone. It's so stupid and dangerous. The law should not be about preventing people's feelings being hurt. Especially when it falls short on things that are actually important like people being physically attacked.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Very unusual...

    ...considering that Spain is a remarkably liberal country.

    My bet is she had the tough luck of a) having an ex who has proved against all doubt that he is indeed as described on that t-shirt, and b) ending up being judged by someone from Opus Dei. There is more than a few of those in the Spanish judiciary, and the Inquisition were a bunch of pinkos in comparison.

    Btw, she has not copped house arrest according to the linked article, but eight days of "permanent localisation". I'm not aware of the exact meaning of that... it's probably just that she has to report at a police station every 24 hours for a week; a punishment which I am sure would not stand up against further appeal.

    1. Amonynous

      Re: Very unusual...

      "...considering that Spain is a remarkably liberal country." for values of 'liberal' that include:

      - Being the world's last and longest lived Fascist dictatorship (1936-1975).

      - Having a population that is 94% baptised in to that well known bastion of liberalism, the Roman Catholic church.

      It does however have a 'liberal' government, The People's party.**

      ** Liberal, as in what the UK would call conservative, i.e. the government shouldn't interfere in people's individual liberty to make squillions of pounds or to die in the gutter in poverty as they see fit.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Re: Very unusual...

        So tell me, how long you lived in Spain for? Which of its languages do you speak fluently? How culturally assimilated are you?

        I can also pull a few random quotes from Wikipedia to try to make a random preposterous point.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Re: Very unusual...

        The recent dictatorship is the very reason that now people in Spain have a greater idea of what privacy and freedom is worth. The UK is waaaaay closer to being a dictatorship than Spain is at this time.

        - sent from my casa.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Re: Re: Very unusual...

          Kindly provide a basis for that assertion, please.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ah facebook

    Once an exclusive site for those of America's finest universities, now a shit pit for bydlo everywhere.

  19. peter collard
    Meh

    I guess a lot of visitors to Spain will have to revise their wardrobes

    Are the Spanish police going to clamp down on all dodgy T-shirts? I thought that was the point of having a T shirt.

    Surely a plain T-shirt is a vest (in UK that's an undergarment to keep you warm).

    I guess in times or hardship the judiciary has to make sure the lawyers have plenty to do.

  20. Jim 59

    "The Reg would like to issue a challenge to our commentards to exceed the current record for faux outrage between liberals, conservatives, misogynists and mean-spirited bastards. If you think you're up to it, you can join the discussion below..."

    Careful with that despising-your-readership stuff

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Despising readers? Hah!

      One thing for sure, considering the abuse we get from readers, is that journalists have thicker skins, remarkably enough.

    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: Careful with that despising-your-readership stuff

      The Register: Biting the hand that feeds it... It says so on the masthead.

      Maybe they like their readers. It could be that they just think the commentards are a bunch of raving nut-jobs. Which probably shows good taste...

      1. LaeMing
        Happy

        Face it

        Anyone posting here is a nutjob by definition.

        1. Guus Leeuw
          Thumb Up

          Re: Face it

          I'm gonna sue you!

  21. terlan
    Black Helicopters

    WOW,

    I can just imagine how the spanish crooks could be using this as a money making scam this summer.

    They'll get a pile of cheap "im with gilipollas" with pointing arrow t-shirts printed up, head for spanish holiday resorts and give em out to drunken tourists in clubs, tell em they get to keep shirt if they pose for a photo, stand beside them and their friend takes snapshop and gets mark to to upload it to facebook or some other public forum. They say gilipollas is a new drink / club / website they are promoting and the mark thinks nothing off it till he gets home and finds court papers as the scammers headed to local courts and sued mark under the same law this woman's husband did.

    They then contact mark, offer to settle out of court for €500, so mark doesnt have to fly over to spain.

  22. Steven Jones

    An alternative

    What's the Spanish for "my ex husband is a self regarding prick"?

  23. Armando 123
    Coat

    Now really

    Assholism is like anything, including evil or good or redneck. We all do it to varying degrees; it's the frequency and depth of these things, combined, which create a personality (or lack thereof). So speaking for myself, the stupid **** was probably right.

  24. Southern

    How convenient, you fight like a cow!

    Once again, Los Abogados win.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Re: How convenient, you fight like a cow!

      I read that as Albóndigas .......

  25. squilookle

    Hmm. I wonder why he was looking through her pictures 5 years after they divorced: whether he intended to find something like that, or for some other reason and he chanced upon the opportunity to cause trouble.

    Either way, the t-shirt sounds generic enough that this guy should have been laughed at as soon as he opened his mouth to someone to suggest taking it legal...

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wheres the spanking?

    I had imagined a *far* more interesting story....

  27. Sean Timarco Baggaley

    To all those who think it's the T-shirt that's the problem...

    ... it wasn't.

    The problem was posting the photo online where the general public can see it.

    Facebook: about as private as a beach in Hawaii during the summer.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: To all those who think it's the T-shirt that's the problem...

      As opposed to wearing the T-shirt where the general public can see it?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: To all those who think it's the T-shirt that's the problem...

      quote Sean Timarco Baggaley: "The problem was posting the photo online where the general public can see it."

      really? she was wearing the t-shirt in public where the general public could see it, too... face it, the ex proved that the description was accurate...

  28. Paul Smith
    Mushroom

    Typical

    Bloody foreigners! Wouldn't happen in my day!

  29. MissingSecurity
    Devil

    Absolutly ourtraged.....

    When I read spanked....damn it....I expect pictures.

  30. Synja

    People have been demanding that bloggers be treated like journalists and given the same protections....

    This is the result. If the New York Times or The Sun had called this guy an asshole... they'd have been reamed too.

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    She got off bloody lightly

    If she was a man she'd have been hammered for ten times that amount.

  32. BristolBachelor Gold badge
    Joke

    Translation

    That's funny because I thought "gilipollas" was Spanish for drivers.

    1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
      Pint

      Re: Translation

      Oh, and one of my friends said that he thought "Salida" was Spanish for "bar" because whenever he followed the signs marked "Salida" from the underground, it led to a bar...

    2. TeeCee Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: Translation

      I'd always assumed "politician" myself.....

      1. Alister
        Facepalm

        Re: Re: Translation

        @TeeCee

        I downvoted this by accident when trying to click on the "Next" button...

        I apologise.

        1. Richard 120

          Re: Re: Re: Translation

          @Alister, fix it by clicking on the upvote. I am led to understand that this cancels out aforementioned misclick

          1. Alister
            Thumb Up

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Translation

            @Richard 120

            Thanks, that fixed it - didn't know you could do that.

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    But...

    Surely he would have to prove in court that he was not in fact an asshole which given the circumstances would appear to be as tricky as pushing rope uphill.

  34. Jonathon Green
    Go

    <voiceOfReason>

    In the interests of fairness it is of course possible that Senora Gilipollas is actually a complete copper bottomed, bunny boiling, prize bitch, that the T-Shirt was just one shot in a continuing campaign of abuse against the long suffering Senor Gilipollas, and that the judgement reflects this in a "last straw which broke the camels back" kind of way.

    Lets face it, it generally requires at least two people willing to make a complete gillipolas of themselves[1] to bring thing something like this to a court case...

    [1] More if you include the lawyers...

    </voiceOfReason>

  35. b166er

    There are some unknowns here. The woman put the pictures up in 2010, 5 years after the divorce. They may have been taken soon after the divorce and only posted recently for some reason.

    However, as it states that the t-shirt was purchased by the current boyfriend bought the t-shirt in 2009, they can only have been posted a minimum of 4 years after the divorce.

    I have to ask, why she (and the boyfriend) felt it necessary to post these pictures on a public website, 4 years after the divorce? It sounds like she has moved on and found a new partner. Why he feels the need to highlight the fact that the ex-husband is an arsehole, is beyond me.

    Perhaps the new boyfriend is getting his jollies provoking the ex-husband for some reason, or perhaps the ex-wife hasn't finished tormenting the ex-husband yet even though she's in a relationship with another man.

    Not sure why the ex-husband is getting a hard time on this forum.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Or possibly

      the pics were of an event in their lives and the T-shirt was incidental.

  36. Ivor
    Pint

    New shirt

    perhaps she can get a new shirt with the slogan "my ex-husband is a litigious shit"

  37. DiskJunky
    Megaphone

    Fr. Ted

    Down with that sort of thing!

  38. Stevie

    Bah!

    This is what happens when you give 'em the vote.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    hil-e-poy-as

    I believe it also flys in Cuba. Fill your boots!

  40. Bill Fresher

    Blah.

    Serves her right.

    Anyone who doesn't agree better not dignitary tort me.

  41. Dick Pountain
    Facepalm

    Think of the children!

    Many of my best friends are trainee proctologists and all these derogatory references to assholes are shattering their already fragile confidence. The result could be a dangerous shortage of proctologists in a few years time, perhaps to be followed by a devastating world pandemic of piles. If that faux enough for ya

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Phuck around and pay the price

    Anyone on Facebook deserves to be thrown in jail and fined. You can't fix stupid.

  43. earl grey
    Pint

    Yes, but his name is Goatse

    So i guess the shirt was actually correct in all accounts.

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Boo Hoo 4 U

    She got what she had coming.

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