A cyclist in Belgium, who knocked over a little girl and was originally found guilty of involuntary assault, has successfully sued the child's father for sharing footage of the incident online.
According to The Telegraph, the cyclist argued that the video's posting invaded his privacy and harmed his reputation. The incident occurred on Christmas Day 2020 when the cyclist, dressed in black lycra, appeared to intentionally knock over the child while passing her on a snowy track.
Patrick Mpasa, the father, recorded the incident and posted it on social media, and it went viral. Initially, the cyclist received a suspended sentence and a token compensation of €1 ($1.07 United States Dollar) for involuntary assault. However, a year later, he sued the father for defamation, claiming damage to his reputation and privacy. The court has ruled in favor of the cyclist, potentially requiring the father to pay compensation, which will be determined in an upcoming hearing.
The cyclist has requested €4,500 ($4,821.08 United States Dollar) as symbolic compensation, roughly equivalent to the value of his bicycle.
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