2024-05-09 07:56:56
Twist in the affair between international top model Marie Noëlle Graobe and blogger Laura Dave. Accused of having relayed false information about an alleged conviction for domestic violence, the journalist was expected this morning at the Yaoundé judicial police. A summons which follows a complaint from the main interested party.
Laura Dave in the sights of justice for “fake news” about Marie Noëlle Graobe
It is a summons which risks becoming a landmark in the Cameroonian legal annals. This morning at 10 a.m., the blogger Miss Biassi Feukeu Laure Davide, better known under the pseudonym Laura Dave, was expected at the Yaoundé judicial police, door 101 (Sub-Directorate of Scientific Police and Judicial Identity).
In question, an article published on December 30, 2023 on social networks, in which the journalist affirmed that international top model Marie Noëlle Graobe had been convicted in France for domestic violence against her husband. Information as explosive as it was fallacious, which spread like wildfire on the web, before being denied by the person concerned.
Marie Noëlle Graobe counterattacks and files a complaint for defamation
Faced with what she considers to be a serious attack on her honor and reputation, Marie Noëlle Graobe has decided to take legal action. According to exclusive reports obtained by 237online.com, the model has filed a lawsuit against Laura Dave for defamation and publishing false news.
A strong choice which testifies to the determination of the one who carried Cameroon’s colors high on the international podiums to cleanse her honor and obtain reparation. It remains to be seen whether Laura Dave will respond to the summons from the judicial police and what action will be taken on this landmark complaint.
Bloggers and influencers, the new targets of Cameroonian justice?
Beyond the single case of Laura Dave vs Marie Noëlle Graobe, this case raises the question of the responsibility of bloggers and influencers in the dissemination of unverified information on social networks. A growing phenomenon in Cameroon, where many « leaders d’opinion 2.0 » have established themselves as alternative sources of information, sometimes in defiance of the most basic ethical rules.
Faced with this drift, justice seems determined to toughen up its tone and set limits. In recent months, several bloggers have been summoned, or even arrested, to answer for their publications deemed defamatory or detrimental to public order. A trend which is unlikely to be reversed, given the desire displayed by the authorities to regulate the Cameroonian digital space.
The Laura Dave – Marie Noëlle Graobe affair could therefore set a precedent and serve as a warning to all those who would be tempted to sacrifice the truth on the altar of buzz and “ clicks“. Because if freedom of expression is a fundamental right, it cannot justify all the excesses and all the excesses. A principle that certain bloggers and influencers should meditate on, under penalty of finding themselves in the sights of justice. And then it will be too late to cry out fake news« …