BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Police have warned people of using social media to spread false rumours after one report had indicated that a minor had died by suicide due to bullying.

“We did not receive any official report of this nature at any of the police stations in St Kitts-Nevis. We continue to encourage the general public to be mindful that social media — like all things available for our usage and enjoyment — should be used responsibly,” the police said in a statement.

It said, further, the dissemination of information, whether fact or fiction, “for the purposes of maligning another individual, or inducing a panicked atmosphere in the community are offences for which one can be held liable, whether by the police or the aggrieved party”.

The police said that such acts fall under the scope of the Unlawful Communications section of the Electronic Crimes Act of St Kitts and Nevis.

It said that where a person without lawful excuse or justification knowingly uses a computer system to send a message, letter, or electronic communication that “is obscene; constitutes a threat; or is menacing in character, to a recipient and intends to …feel intimidated, molested, harassed or threatened, he commits an offence”.

According to the police statement, the person is liable on summary conviction to a fine of EC$10,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) or to imprisonment for a term of 12 months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

The police are also warning that “where a person without lawful excuse or justification publishes the message, letter or electronic communication to any other person not being a person who is the subject of the message…then that first person commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of EC$15,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

The police are reminding the public that communication that constitutes a threat or is menacing in character includes communication that causes substantial emotional distress.