Defamation of character and data protection

[Rubyredslippers44]

I’m very sure ive been defamed by an ex partner. It’s something he regularly does. In this instance, I believe he has made some untrue allegations to my university. I won’t go into detail as I don’t want to out myself. FYI he has done this before as well as other shitty things.

Where do I stand as far as date protection is concerned? Can I ask for any information/correspondence relating to me, made by a third party to be disclosed to myself?

Thanks in advance.

[Lillylollylandy]

This may help:

ico.org.uk/for-the-public/personal-information/

[prh47bridge]

You can get information they hold about you. However, correspondence with a third party is the third party's personal information. You may find that the university withholds the correspondence on that basis.

[Angrybird345]

Make a subject access request and see what’s on your file.

[Angrybird345]

Or just speak to them and ask.

[PersianCatLady]

There is nowhere near enough information in your OP to be able to give you any accurate advice.

Also breaches of the DPA are completely different to defamation.

If you want to answer these questions, it might be easier to see what the issue is and what you can do about it.

What exactly has this person done?

Written a letter about you to the university?

Was it opinion or fact?

Is what the person wrote true or false?

[Rubyredslippers44]

Very useful replies here-thanks everyone

Persiancat- he has previously made up malicious lies about me to a college and more than one workplace. All the lies are untrue and very easy to prove this. He’s mentally unstable but has the support of his family who sometimes encourage and go along with his weird behaviour.

He’s previous lies: I have a menatal health record, am “crazy” etc i don’t have a MH record.

He’s said I’ve been investigated my SS. this has never happened. It was him who was investigated by social services due to him commuting multiple DV offences. He’s also been investigated by SS in regards to his step child

He previously lied to my previous college. He had said that I’d stolen money from him to pay the fees there! Also another lie and easy to prove he’s lying.

He’s obsessed with ruining my life and is completely mentally unstable. I need to know what else he’s saying so I can go to police and defend myself to uni. This has to stop.

[prh47bridge]

The police can get access to anything he has said to your university if you make a complaint to them.

If the university is taking no action there is no need for you to defend yourself. If they are taking action they must give you enough information about the allegations to allow you to defend yourself.

[PersianCatLady]

he has previously made up malicious lies about me to a college and more than one workplace
How did he tell them the lies - written / spoken?

How do you know about that he did this?

TBH if I was a manager somewhere and a random man contacted me and said that employee1 had mental health issues then I would think that it was a spiteful twat trying to ruin the employee's life.

I can't imagine any situation in which an employer would take the comments of a random person seriously in the way you have described.

It must be very annoying for you but I think you are worrying about it far too much and thinking that others will take him seriously.

[PersianCatLady]

He previously lied to my previous college. He had said that I’d stolen money from him to pay the fees there! Also another lie and easy to prove he’s lying
I cannot believe that the person who heard / read these claims would have thought anything more than "poor man, he seems bitter and out for revenge" and "poor woman having had this man in her life".

[Rubyredslippers44]

In the form of calls and emails.

You’d be surprised how many people have believed him and how hard it was for me to get them to reveal what he’d said after I’d first had suspicions. He has successfully turned friends and family members against me in the past all through ridiculous lies. I can hardly believe people are so gullible, but it would seem after what I’ve dealt with for years, some are.

[Rubyredslippers44]

prh47bridge-thanks. I think i’ll have to get the police involved again. I can’t live with all the worrying.

[nornironlady]

So sorry about this OP. My DS has been suffering the same issues with her ex who has made malicious allegations to SS as well as general physical/mental harassment. She recently had to get an anti-molestation order after police reports etc. but he did threaten violence. He also turned on me with regard to SS and I was advised to contact a solicitor as it was just verbal allegations, I never bothered in the end as it would have cost me money and he isn't worth it. I hope you can sort things out, it's not good for your own mental health.

[PersianCatLady]

In the form of calls and emails
I honestly can't believe that anybody in a professional capacity takes these calls and emails from an random person seriously.

May I ask, how did you find out about what was happening?

TBH your ExP sounds unhinged and I don't understand how he can phone your university about you and speak about you when he is basically ranting.

It does sound awful though but I still don't really understand why anybody is taking him seriously.

[Rubyredslippers44]

nornironlady-all my love to you and your DD. I hope everything works out well for you all. It’s horrible isn’t it? I’ve already been through the court process with him over DV and he was charged. But strangely enough, that hasn’t stopped people from going along with his rubbish.

I will generally find out because he likes to drop hints. He really revels in this. It’s not just myself he’s done this to. He’s made up terrible lies about his father, best friend just about everyone gets lied about by him. He is mentally ill but his family try desperately to cover this up. He’s had serious issues since childhood and his family either ignores this or goes along with it.

[IJoinedJustToPostThis]

Are you in England?

[Rubyredslippers44]

Yes, I am a UK resident.

[BerylStreep]

How is he dropping hints? Is he in contact with you? If so, in what capacity.

Dropping hints is designed to make you worry, and to provoke a reaction from you. The easiest way of dealing with this is to ensure he doesn't have any access to you at all - even through friends or relatives.

I work in a role where I deal with complaints against staff all the time, and I do see this type of issue occasionally. Bitter exes trying to exact revenge and harassment. Sometimes we need to conduct enquiries to ascertain if there is any truth to the allegations, but not because we necessarily believe the allegation, but because we have a duty to in some circumstances.

What I would suggest is speaking to your course tutor, and explaining that you have a history of being subjected to DV, and that the ex has form for making malicious allegations against you.

I know it is easy to say, but you tying yourself in knots and making subject access requests to see what he may have said about you is exactly playing into his hands. Ignore and try to distance yourself as much as possible from him and anyone who carries tales on his behalf.

[PersianCatLady]

Ruby
I feel mean for saying this but I don't think there is much you can do when all you have is your ExP "dropping hints" about telling lies about you.

Write to your university and tell them what is happening so they don't engage with this man.

Aside from that, I don't really know what else you can do when you have no actual proof that anything has even happened.

One thing though, why do you still see this man so he can "drop hints" to you? Stay away from him, he is pure poison.

[PersianCatLady]

But strangely enough, that hasn’t stopped people from going along with his rubbish
Sorry Ruby but what people and what rubbish?

Unless you can be more specific about at least one actual incident then I don't know what you can do.

[BerylStreep]

And it goes without saying that if 'friends' choose to believe him, then they aren't the sort of people you need in your life. You're better off without them.

[Rubyredslippers44]

Persian- As I’ve said, i can’t be too detailed. Rubbish meaning lies. We live in the same area. I’m constantly being told of ridiculous things he’s saying. He will funnily enough project alot-he’ll accuse me of doing things that he’s done I.e He has convictions- he’ll tell people i have the same convictions. I’ve never been in trouble with the police.

He’ll often approach people who I’ve become friendly with and tell them I’ve said Crappy things about them. He is compulsive in this behaviour. During his arrest for DV he was put on bail, not to contact myself or my family. He broke the bail within an hour to phone my father and tell him I’d stolen his car. I don’t/can’t drive.

He’s delusional and not just “bad”. Therefore he believes his own lies half the time. Which is why I believe he can be so convincing. People can’t compute that they’re dealing with a crazy person. Esp. As he’s family and very “respectable” father go along with it and at times help him lie.

[Rubyredslippers44]

BerylStreep- thanks and ain’t that the truth! I’ve had to find out the hard way that some aren’t so loyal. Tbh, these were friendships in the very initial stages. As soon as I make an aquantance, he’ll find out and just like magic they’ll start ignoring me and he’s then friends with them. I lost most of my real friends whilst I was in a relationship with him. I was very young and easy to isolate.

[RubyLennoxExists]

To correct a point in one of the posts above - You are entitled to the personal data the uni holds on you (subject to certain exemptions). That will include info passed to the uni by a third party - it is not their Personal data if about you.

[BerylStreep]

But people carrying tales to you are being drama llamas, and you are sucking it up. If someone tries to tell you what he has said, stop them in their tracks and say you just don't want to know.

How easy is it for you to move to be away from him?

If you meet new friends, warn them in advance that he is a pathological liar who is intent on destroying your life. If they then choose to believe him, well, they were warned.

I honestly think if he is that bad you need to put some physical distance between you if you possibly can.

(speaking from experience - I sold my house and moved to get away from an ex bf).

[BerkInBag]

Could his behaviour be dealt with as harassment? Does he send you nasty messages? Could that be dealt with as Malicious Communication? If he as form for DV against you could you speak to the Police?