A teenager in the running to serve as a Deputy for St Brelade has contacted the police after being targeted by what he described as “horrendous” rumours online.
It had been suggested on social media that Gabriel Raimondo had been kicked out of school, but he told Express that he had in fact delayed his A-level exams to focus on his election campaign.
Mr Raimondo, who will turn 18 later this month, would become the youngest-ever States Member if he is elected in June.
I want to really speak to people because it’s their voices that we need to hear
Gabriel Raimondo
The Victoria College student is among the four candidates hoping to secure one of three Deputy seats up for grabs in St Brelade, alongside two current Deputies – Jonathan Renouf (independent) and Montfort Tadier (Reform Jersey) – as well as former Environment Minister John Young (Reform Jersey).
Speaking to Express, Mr Raimondo said that the response to his campaign had so far been “very positive”.
“There’s lots of support, lots of good conversations,” he said, adding that he was “door knocking and generally going out to as many events as possible”.
“[I’m] trying to talk to people, trying to see what they want for the island,” he explained.
However, Mr Raimondo acknowledged that a rumour was being spread by a “small number of people” alleging he had been expelled from Victoria College.
He said he had heard multiple versions of the rumour, including that his alleged expulsion was due to him being verbally abusive and discriminatory.
“None of which is true,” Mr Raimondo clarified, explaining that he had initially decided to take an early study leave and then later to delay his A-level exams until the November sitting – citing a need to “put my all into this campaign”.
“I want to be there, I want to be present, and I want to really speak to people because it’s their voices that we need to hear,” he added.
Mr Raimondo said the police were currently trying to identify the individuals spreading the false information, adding that he did not know “why they have such hatred for me”.
“We are going through that process at the moment, because it is defamation,” he said.
Mr Raimondo also told Express he was “incredibly shocked” by some of the things being said about him online, including a number of “horrendous” claims.
“Unfortunately, there are fake accounts that are coming out, I suspect from the same group of people, that are saying that I encourage things such as domestic abuse,” he said, stressing that he had never made any such comments.