Independent Member of Parliament Mike Fonseca is suing Member of Parliament Monika Rubin (M) for defamation following statements Rubin made about Fonseca’s relationship with his girlfriend. The lawsuit stems from allegations of grooming that Rubin posted on Facebook in November 2023.

Fonseca is demanding that Rubin retract her accusations and remove them from Facebook. He argues that her statements are untrue, damaging to his reputation, and constitute a serious criminal accusation.

Rubin has publicly stated that she stands by her criticism of Fonseca, asserting that “adults who seek out children are a problem” and that individuals should not be silenced through threats. She revealed that Fonseca had previously threatened to sue and demanded financial compensation of 100,000 kroner, a claim Fonseca disputes as merely standard procedure.

The controversy revolves around Fonseca’s relationship with a then 15-year-old girl, which led to his departure from the Moderates party. The relationship was deemed a violation of the Moderates’ code of conduct, which prohibits sexual relations with individuals under 18.

Rubin’s Facebook post accused Fonseca of using his status and experience to seduce a young person, characterizing it as grooming. Grooming is defined as a relationship where a person of superior mental age builds a relationship with a child or young person to exploit them sexually, which is a criminal offense.

While police investigated Fonseca for grooming in January 2024, the investigation was closed due to a lack of reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

The Moderates party had previously offered Fonseca a severance agreement, including 370,000 kroner, to relinquish his mandate in 2023. Rubin is currently on maternity leave, but normally serves as the political spokesperson for the Moderates. The specific amount of compensation Fonseca is seeking in the lawsuit is currently unknown.