In October, we reported that the lawyers of Zane Alchin had indicated that he would be pleading guilty in court. Today, his legal team made a plea of ‘not guilty’.
Alchin is being charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend. He allegedly made online rape threats and comments towards a group of women for defending their friend, after a screenshot of her Tinder profile was being aggressively mocked online. The Tinder profile in question included lyrics from Drake‘s verse of Nicki Minaj‘s track ‘Only’, reading “type of girl to suck you dry then eat some lunch with you.”
Alchin is being accused of posting lengthy derisive comments towards the women, which included saying “your [sic] all basic fucking sluts”, and also explaining what “the best thing about raping feminists” was.
The women he made comments to have since formed a protest group called ‘Sexual Violence Won’t Be Silenced‘. According to a press release from SVWBS, this case offers NSW courts an opportunity to set a precedent regarding the consequences of online abuse and sexual harassment of women.
SVWBS spokesperson Paloma Brierley Newton said,
“This will be a landmark case, and will give our judicial system the opportunity to put their foot down in regards to sexual harassment and violence against women. Violence against women can’t be changed until we change the way we treat women and respect them in every day life, online is not inherently different to real life, it’s merely a different medium.”
Two court dates have previously been adjourned: Alchin’s legal team indicated they would put forward a ‘guilty’ plea in October, then asked for more time in December, and today, pleaded ‘not guilty’. Alchin himself did not appear in court; however, three members of SVWBS did.
There will be an evidence reading in court on February 9th, and the accused will return to court on March 1st.
Source: SVWBS.
Image: SVWBS.
