The mother of Amanda Todd, a B.C. girl who died by suicide after being viciously bullied online, says she鈥檚 outraged that the man charged in the case is trying to make money by publishing a book about his side of the story.
Aydin Coban, a Dutch man already serving time in the Netherlands for cyberbullying dozens of girls and gay men, reportedly smuggled the book from prison and published it.
Amanda鈥檚 mother, Carol Todd, said the news was hard to digest.
鈥淎ydin Coban is trying to manipulate the system,鈥� she told CTV Vancouver. 鈥淚f he is making a profit on this book by sharing his perceptions and his so-called story, that鈥檚 not right.鈥�
In the book, Coban calls the case against him a 鈥渕edia circus.鈥� He vows that he is innocent and has nothing to confess, and that the Canadian justice system is full of 鈥渃harlatans.鈥�
The book, which was up for sale on Toronto-based publisher Kobo for $14.89, has since been taken down.
Kobo told CTV Vancouver that Coban鈥檚 book, self-published through Pumbo, a platform in the Netherlands, was added to the Kobo store through an automated feed.
鈥淲hile we monitor for illegal content, a title that doesn鈥檛 breach our terms of service would not be flagged,鈥� a Kobo spokesperson wrote in an email.
B.C.鈥檚 Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth said he doesn鈥檛 buy that rationale.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think saying that鈥檚 just a computer program is a defence. At the end of the day, there are laws that exist,鈥� Farnworth said.
Indeed, laws are in place in Canada and the Netherlands that prevent someone from profiting off a crime.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very traumatic for the family,鈥� Farnworth added. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine how you would feel knowing that someone is potentially profiting from the death of a loved one. It鈥檚 just not right.鈥�
Amanda Todd was 15 years old when she died in 2012 after posting a video about being cyberbullied.
Her mother says she hopes the book disappears altogether.
鈥淔or Amanda, this story is very global, and for the victims, because we鈥檙e talking about exploitation. No one needs to read it so it should just vanish from the internet,鈥� Carol Todd said. 鈥淏ut we know it鈥檚 hard to take things down from the internet.鈥�
Coban was approved to be extradited to Canada from the Netherlands in April. The RCMP has charged him with extortion, importing or distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography and child luring.
None of the allegations against Coban in the Amanda Todd case have been tested in a Canadian court.
With a report from CTV Vancouver鈥檚 Jon Woodward and files from The Canadian Press
