PHILIPSBURG:--- Blogger Judith Roumou has filed a request with the Court of First Instance to ask the court to make changes on the conditions of her release from pre-trial detention. Police arrested Roumou at her home in St. Peters on the morning of Tuesday, June 30 on charges of slander, libel, extortion, stalking and threats.
“On Monday July 6th 2015 the Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release that the 40 year old suspect J.R who is suspected of harassment (stalking), amongst other crimes, is released from her pre-trial detention today July 6, 2015. The woman was arrested on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 on suspicion of slander, defamation, insult, threat, extortion and harassment (stalking). Given the nature of the crimes and the personal circumstances of the suspect, the prosecutor advised the judge of instruction to suspend the pre-trial detention under certain special conditions. The suspect is not allowed to contact the people that pressed charges against her and she must visit the probation service. Also she needs to cooperate in the creation of a psychological and/or psychiatric report and she cannot commit new crimes. The judge followed this advice. The public prosecutors services had not taken any decision on further prosecution of the blogger yet. It is not yet known when a court hearing will take place.”
On Monday August 3rd 2015 Press Prosecutor Karola Van Nie said in an invited comment that Roumou and her lawyers submitted a request to the court asking that the conditions regarding her cooperation to conduct a physiological and psychiatric evaluation be removed. Van Nie said that case is set for August 10th 2015 and will be held behind closed doors. The press prosecutor further stated that the criminal investigation is continuing and that they are also busy working on some new complaints where the blogger violated the conditions of her arrest while the criminal investigation against Roumou is ongoing.
