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Download Disgruntled divorcees are increasingly turning to the Internet to vent about their ex-partners, leading to a sharp rise in lawsuits in online defamation, according to judges. Although allegations of slander and libel are nothing new between former lovers, legal experts and psychologists say the Internet, and the ease with which it can be used, has caused a shift in behavior. "People nowadays prefer to publish their feelings on an online space, such as a micro blog or forum," said Hao Peng, a veteran Beijing judge who specializes in civil disputes. A study she helped conduct for the Haidian District People's Court revealed the court had seen an increase in the number of libel cases relating to Web posts since 2009. Such disputes usually occur during a couple’s divorce or after they have been legally separated for one or two years, Hao said. She recounted a typical case that she presided over in 2011. A 38-year-old man sued his ex-wife after she sent insulting e-mails to his friends and colleagues. "The woman had been divorced from the man two years earlier, but she was still unhappy about the division of property," Hao said. The judge said the ex-husband had failed to pay the defendant about 300,000 yuan ($47,000) that he owed her. "So to put him under pressure, his ex-wife sent photos and wrote nasty things about him to his friends and published his name, workplace and other private information in an online forum." | 
