Malicious Communications
Author
Discussion

dave7108

Original Poster:

358 posts

182 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
I work in IT and one of the users has come to me today to say that they have received an email on their work email saying their wife is a 'slag'. He said she has possible form for messing about but wants to report this as malicious communications and the company to involve police?

I think this is mildly over the top its hardly a bomb threat, Ive told him to just block the email address and then come back to me if he gets anything else.

butchstewie

66,675 posts

238 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
Depends on the company structure but go to your HR team or your legal team.

What he wants to be done isn't an IT issue for you directly - you may become involved if information is needed.

redstar1

419 posts

19 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
dave7108 said:
I work in IT and one of the users has come to me today to say that they have received an email on their work email saying their wife is a 'slag'. He said she has possible form for messing about but wants to report this as malicious communications and the company to involve police?

I think this is mildly over the top its hardly a bomb threat, Ive told him to just block the email address and then come back to me if he gets anything else.
Inform HR and keep copies of the 'evidence'.

Alex_225

7,632 posts

229 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
Was the e-mail from an internal person, if so inform HR and let them handle it. If they require any further assistance, do the IT bit and carry out e-mail searches as required and provide for them to root through.

If it's an external address, if it's a personal e-mail (Gmail, Hotmail etc.) probably not much can be done about it. If it's from another company, then again I'd suggest HR take a look and let them handle it.

As someone who works in IT, I'd not be troubling myself with it beyond providing any evidence as it's needed.

albrighton

26 posts

4 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
It's not for the company to involve the police as they are not the victim. Should the employee wish to involve police that's for them to invoke and the company would be minded to assist in keeping evidence and ensuring the employee is safeguarded.

It probably should be noted though that the old offence of malicious communications which criminalised the sending of information known or believed to be false with the intent to cause distress or anxiety was repealed under the Online Safety Act 2023. It must now include the causing of non-trivial phycological or physical harm which is a significantly higher threshold.

Without more context it's unlikely to be an offence at all unless there's more in the email or there are repeated emails.

LunarOne

7,268 posts

165 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
Also, if the wife actually is a slag, then it's neither malicious nor slanderous.

OIC

450 posts

21 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
We need photos.

ac.cobra

131 posts

54 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
Photos of what, a slag.
You want to get in.

dave123456

3,826 posts

175 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
LunarOne said:
Also, if the wife actually is a slag, then it's neither malicious nor slanderous.
I suppose it is malicious to call a friendly lady a slag…

Simpo Two

92,447 posts

293 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
LunarOne said:
Also, if the wife actually is a slag, then it's neither malicious nor slanderous.
hehe

Or reply 'At least mine doesn't have a face like a bag of spanners...'

Yellow Lizud

2,902 posts

192 months

Yesterday (09:17)
quotequote all
And we all wonder why everything is so expensive and why we have a cost of living crisis, when companies (and the police) have to budget for sorting out crap like this.

OP, just tell him to ps off, you don't care what emails he receives and you've got better IT things to do.
Although in this ludicrously woke society we now inhabit, you're probably not allowed to do that - hence my first paragraph!

dave7108

Original Poster:

358 posts

182 months

Yesterday (11:38)
quotequote all
Company has to take things seriously if you feel hurt. Email police will be dedicating a 20 strong man task force to this

LunarOne

7,268 posts

165 months

Yesterday (12:28)
quotequote all
dave7108 said:
Company has to take things seriously if you feel hurt. Email police will be dedicating a 20 strong man task force to this
Sorry what? How will strongmen help?

mobile chicane22

520 posts

216 months

Tell complainant to find sender of email and hammer frozen sausages into their lawn

Tango13

10,007 posts

204 months

Maybe the complainants wife is the other sort of 'slag'?

You know the sort... Likes a MK2 Jag, wears a sheepskin coat, bit fond of the chunky gold jewellery, has plenty of bottle, well known face on the manor and is known for being a bit tasty with a sawn off shooter...

Serious answer, keep all the evidence and let HR sort it out (with or without a sawn off)

Richard-390a0

3,444 posts

119 months

Malicious Communications - would also be a good band name!

Simpo Two

92,447 posts

293 months

Richard-390a0 said:
Malicious Communications - would also be a good band name!
Old joke - woman in the audience of a punk band shouted 'Sexist crap' and they thought it was a request...