The Current

Amanda Todd's mom confident alleged cyberbully will be extradited to Canada

Aydin Coban, the man alleged to have cyber-bullied Amanda Todd was found guilty in the Netherlands of similar charges involving 34 underage victims. Todd's mother hopes he will face trial in Canada to set a precedent for cyberbullying law.
Amanda Todd holding a cell phone.
B.C. teenager Amanda Todd died by suicide in 2012 after being blackmailed and bullied online. On April 4, a Dutch court decided Todd's alleged tormentor, Aydin Coban, could be extradited to face charges in Canada in connection with Todd's case. (CBC/The Fifth Estate)

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Amanda Todd, 15, took her own life after she had been lured into posting sexual images of herself online and blackmailed.

The perpetrator was a man she had never met. The images he is alleged to have posted of her spurred more online attacks by classmates and peers. She died in 2012.

In the years since her death, Amanda's name and story have drawn global attention to the issue of online abuse.  A video she posted describing the pain and anguish she suffered has been viewed more than 20 million times.   

Aydin Coban is the man who is alleged to have cyber-bullied Todd. He was found guilty in the Netherlands of similar charges involving 34 underage victims and has been sentenced to almost 11 years in jail.

On April 4, a Dutch court decided that Coban could be extradited to face charges in Canada in connection with Amanda's case.   

Amanda's mother Carol Todd tells The Current's guest host Piya Chattopadhyay the recent news has brought up a whirlwind of emotions that are constantly changing.

"Sad, confusing, surreal — they just keep going. I didn't know there were so many adjectives actually that would describe my emotions."

She is confident that Coban will be brought to trial in Canada and hopes the case will serve as a precedent to help establish new case law.

Related: Amanda Todd suspect Aydin Coban writes open letter proclaiming innocence

Carol tells Chattopadhyay that for the past two years she was adamant to not be at the trial in Amsterdam back in February.

But as time grew closer to the trial date, Carol changed her mind. She wanted to see what Coban looked like and hear him speak.

"I decided that this is what I needed to do," she says.
Amanda Todd's mother, Carol hopes an extradition of her daughter's alleged tormentor could set a new standard for addressing cyberbullying. (CBC)

"And it was a really good decision because as hard as it was, it did prepare me a little bit emotionally for what is to come."

After hearing the extradition announcement, she says she now has a process to help alleviate anxiety.

"It's a huge emotional toll that this whole thing has taken."

Carol hopes the decision by the Dutch court will signal to parents that something can be done against cyberbullying.

"If a child is being victimized or any person that's being victimized to the extent of emotional distress, it needs to be reported because you know we need to be able to be people that live in an environment that is safe for us."

She knows there are many more Amanda Todd stories out there and urges people to report them.

"If someone doesn't listen to you the first time, you find someone else to tell because something needs to be done. You just can't let it go and … stay victimized."

Listen to the full conversation at the top of this web post.

This segment was produced by The Current's Ines Colabrese.