NEWS
Kwame Sekyere Acts in The UK’s First Trial of Encouraging Self-Harm
Kwame Sekyere, instructed by Simon Bethel Solicitors, represented CJ who was on trial for two counts of encouraging self harm under s184 of the Online Safety Act 2023.
In the first jury trial involving this offence, Mr Sekyere made a number of successful applications to exclude messages between the co-defendants and to put questions to one of the complainants about their previous sexual history. The issue in the case was whether or not CJ intended to encourage really serious harm, the legislation defines this as harm amounting to grievous bodily harm.
The case primarily concerned CJ’s online and in-person relationships with two complainants who accused him of encouraging them to self harm. The online platform ‘Discord’ played a significant role as the jury were shown messages from private servers, sent between the co-defendants, where they discussed their relationships with the complainants.
CJ was also on trial for other offences including the distribution of indecent images of children, making indecent images of children and assault by beating. After mitigation, CJ was sentenced to four years imprisonment for all offences. CJ’s co-defendant who entered an early guilty plea and whose offences involved one complainant received a sentence of 2 years 9 months imprisonment.
The case has garnered national and international news attention.