Afdreiging
Extortion
Extortion is the compelling of another by threat to hand over money or goods or to perform an act.
Extortion, as criminalized under Article 317 of the Criminal Code, consists in compelling another person to render a performance by threatening violence, disclosing facts or employing other means of coercion. The offence is directed against the victim’s personal liberty and assets.
The concept is relevant in both criminal and civil law, as victims frequently claim damages alongside criminal proceedings. In practice, extortion commonly arises in commercial disputes, personal relationships or online threats involving the use of compromising material.
In extortion cases, counsel focus primarily on the provability of the threat and its causal connection to the performance demanded.
“The defendant was convicted of extortion for threatening the victim with publication of intimate photographs unless money was transferred.”
Related terms
Need legal advice?
Schedule a free consultation with one of our specialists