Guy Gerber Wins Rape Defamation Trial In Ibiza.
After a ten-year process, Guy Gerber, the Israeli DJ accused of rape, has won his defamation case against Mavi de Mars. Judge Clara Ramirez de Arellano ruled that the woman “knowingly attributed to Gerber a crime of rape, knowing it to be false,” and that social media virality was deliberately used to damage the artist, and that his reputation was attacked without supporting evidence. It also ordered Mars to publish the full ruling on her social media accounts for six months.
However, Mars has failed to take a repentant approach, stating, “As I’ve come to learn, Spanish criminal defamation law is the subject of ongoing legal and academic debate, which makes this verdict particularly difficult to accept. I respect the court, but I disagree with the outcome and am exercising my right to appeal. I acted from a place of belief and concern, not malice or personal gain, and I trust the higher court to examine the legal issues carefully.”
An online campaign associated with the Our Time Is Now movement has already begun to support Mars’s above statement, spearheaded by investigative journalist Anabel Ross, who has been writing about this case for the past decade. In a Substack article, she highlights the Spanish law of Calumnia in the case. However, it faces a Herculean task to have any impact on the ruling or on the appeal due to the fact that no police or medical reports were filed.
The sentence also states that “it is surprising the attitude of the defendant, who, in the face of the seriousness of the facts that she herself published in her social networks and having the possibility of obtaining legal advice, did not tell anyone anything”. The court acknowledged the negative media coverage, noting that “several contracts were cancelled with the DJ that would have meant a very high income for him.” The trial also heard that Mars had publicly accused another man in March 2022 of a similar Rohypnol assault in Ibiza, without reporting it to the police or undergoing medical examinations.
Vindication for Gerber.
Gerber’s career had been on hold until the case was decided. It has been a challenging time for the DJ, as pressure had been mounting on him for years before the trial. Now that his name and reputation have been cleared, it is expected that he will return to Ibiza this summer with a new residency for Ushuaia Entertainment, which supported Gerber during the trial.
Gerber’s legal counsel, Jaime Campaner, informed the court that his client chose not to seek financial compensation, stating, “he has waived any compensation that might correspond to him, despite the serious moral damage caused to him and his family.” Gerber had sued Mavi de Mars for over a million euros in respect of lost earnings and reputational damage. The Judge also ordered that Mars pay legal costs for both parties and be disqualified from voting in Spain.
While this should be the end of the matter, I suspect this story will continue to grow legs, so we will update when more developments come to light.
Related Articles
The Ibiza Chiringuito Wars. Reasons Why Traditional Ibiza Beach Bars Are Closing.
The root of this conflict goes back to 1988 and the introduction of a landmark piece of legislation, the Ley de Costas, by the socialist led PSOE government of Prime Minister Felipe González.
Ibiza Mourns Death Of Ball Pages Cultural Icon Toni den Planes.
Born in 1931, Antoni Planells Tur, affectionately known as “Toni d’en Planes,” played a crucial role in preserving Ibicenco folklore and culture.
Abel Matutes Prats Interview. Defining The Unexpected.
The Evolution of Ushuaïa Ibiza. A masterclass in brand evolution: A story of private struggles behind the public success of Ushuaia Entertainment.