Man Accused of Tormenting Amanda Todd, Leading To Her Suicide, To Be Extradited To Canada To Face Charges
The Dutch man that has been accused of tormenting and cyber-bullying British Columbia teen Amanda Todd, ultimately causing her to take her own life, can be extradited to Canada to face multiple charges, a Dutch court has ruled.
In October of 2012, 15-year-old Amanda Todd took her own life after years of alleged online torment and cyber-bullying at the hands of Aydin Coban, a Dutch man who has also been charged with 72 counts of child pornography and extortion involving 39 other people, reports CBC. Todd committed suicide a little over a month after she posted a video to YouTube in which she used flash cards to tell a horrible story of bullying, extortion, cyber-stalking, self-harm, and suicide attempts.
Man in Amanda Todd cyberbullying case can be extradited to Canada — once Dutch trial ends https://t.co/2PuXW48AVA pic.twitter.com/omm7zoojW7
— National Post (@nationalpost) June 28, 2016
For those who have not heard it, Amanda Todd’s story is as follows. In 2009, she had moved in with her father in a new city. In an attempt to make some friends, she used her webcam to video chat with people. One of those people happened to be Aydin Coban, who, after a year of praise and compliments, convinced Amanda to bare her chest over webcam for him. Todd was hesitant, but eventually relented, and that’s when the cyber-bullying began. Coban threatened to expose her photo to everyone she knew — Amanda says in her YouTube video that he knew the names and addresses of all of her family, friends, and classmates — unless she “gave him a show.” During Christmas break of 2010, the police knocked on Todd’s door at 4 a.m. to report that her photo was being circulated online. Amanda Todd was moved from city to city, school system to school system, but still, her accused tormentor continued to find her and bully her. After years of bullying, not only at the hands of Coban, but also classmates who all eventually learned of her past — many of whom posted on social media sites like Facebook that they wished she would kill herself — Amanda Todd gave up, and on October 10, 2012, she took her own life.
Now, thanks to the unwavering efforts of the RCMP and Dutch police, a court has finally ruled that no matter the outcome of the 72 charges of child pornography and extortion that 38-year-old Coban faces in his home country, he can be extradited to Canada to face five charges relating to Amanda Todd, including extortion, criminal harassment, internet luring and the possession and distribution of child pornography. Amanda Todd’s mother, Carol Todd, said that learning of the news that her daughter’s accused tormentor can be extradited to Canada to stand trial was a “bittersweet moment.”
“It brings up all the pain that started back in October of 2012 when we lost her. It’s good that we see justice coming.”
Carol Todd also added that she thinks the potential of Coban being extradited sends a message to others like him.
“Just because you might be overseas, you think that you’re not touchable. You’re not safe where you are.”
Before Coban can be extradited to Canada, however, he must first stand trial in the Netherlands for the six dozen other counts he faces in relation to the 39 victims in his home country. According to CTV News legal analyst Edward Prutschi, the Netherlands has made a “guarantee” that, no matter what happens to Coban during his trial in the Netherlands, he will be extradited to Canada, even if he is found guilty and sentenced by a Dutch court.
#AmandaTodd update – teenager bullied to death https://t.co/8xNXaAoJmN someone charged https://t.co/pD4sXAEPUT pic.twitter.com/A8b16IEk3y
— jw (@burgundylue) June 28, 2016
Following his Dutch trial, which is set to begin in 2017, the man accused of tormenting Amanda Todd will face the Canadian court system, and, if he is found guilty in Canada, Prutschi says that there will be an “international discussion” regarding where and when he will serve his sentences. Prutschi praises the RCMP for how “extraordinarily seriously” they took the Amanda Todd case.
“Not only have they followed through with their investigation, they’ve targeted someone in a foreign country. They didn’t throw their hands up and say, ‘Well, they’re outside of Canada, we’ve done everything we can.'”
Though it is still unclear when the man accused of extorting and cyber-bullying Amanda Todd will be extradited to Canada — the Dutch justice minister still has to sign off on the extradition — at the very least, it is a step in the right direction to help fight cyber-bullying and bring some justice to Amanda Todd’s family.
[Image via TheSomebodytoknow/YouTube/Screen Capture]
