Insult (defamation offence)

Insult is committed by attributing to a person a concrete act or fact capable of offending their honour and dignity, or by swearing at them. It may be committed to the victim's face, or in their absence through communication with at least three others, or via audio, written or visual messages.

Commission against a public official on account of their duty, by reference to religious values, or publicly, aggravates the penalty. The basic form depends on the victim's complaint and falls within victim-offender mediation, while the form against public officials is prosecuted ex officio. Social media posts and messaging make up a large share of case files, and precedent holding that coarse language and harsh criticism do not constitute the offence draws the boundary with free expression.

In mutual insults the judge may reduce or dispense with punishment. Independently of the criminal case, the victim may claim non-pecuniary damages for the attack on personality rights, and securing the evidence through formal determination beyond mere screenshots matters for proof.