Telephone Abuse

8/6/00

Telephone Abuse

Extract from the US Magazine Westword.

" ... the younger sister got her former boyfriend arrested on a domestic-violence charge for telephone "disturbance." The boyfriend had wanted a television back that he had loaned to the older sister and money back that he had loaned to the younger one, his ex-girlfriend.

He called with his demands once too often. Losing his temper he left the following message on the answerphone.

"Why can't I get a f***ing return phone call?"

He didn't threaten her or her sister, but, because he used f***, he was charged with 'disturbance' for using obscene language on the telephone.

Fortunately, this young man's attorney was able to locate witnesses who said that the two young women had actually boasted to friends that they knew how to get back at former lovers who had annoyed them.

Apparently, all they had to do was to 'wind them up' and get any boy to respond aggressively.

The case was eventually dismissed thanks to an independent witness who confirmed that this is exactly what these girls had done.

Had this witness not been found, the man would almost certainly have gone to jail for some three months and he would undoubtedly have lost his job.

On top of this, he would have been placed on the Domestic Violence Register for life, and this register can be accessed not only by the police, but by others, such as prospective employers.