Did Brenda Leyland Have the Right to Due Process ?

[Brietta]

From the legal side ...

Snip
The media lawyer said he had seen “a significant upswing” in online bullying cases.

But criminal prosecution, said Stephens, should be reserved for the most extreme cases.

“It is only a very small minority who are fixated, who take it to the extreme — people who are borderline certifiable,” he argued.

Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has instructed lawyers that messages sent via social media could be a criminal offence if they contain “credible threats of violence” or target an individual in a way that “may constitute harassment or stalking”.

“Grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false” messages could also amount to a crime if a “public interest” case can be made.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/technology/111710-the-scourge-of-internet-trolls.html


In my opinion all of what has been said above is applicable to the organised gang trolling of the McCanns with Brenda Leyland perhaps falling into the nuisance category ... or maybe not when one considers her physical proximity to them and the allegation made that she often visited their home village as a result of her interest in them.

Snip
"When Madeleine first went missing she used to go over to her home village all the time. She used to go to the local pub and the shops telling everyone what she thought about the family. It seemed very odd behaviour."
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2629697/exposed-mccann-troll-was-mired-in-loneliness/



Brenda Leyland was a cog in the wheel of a far larger organised controlled and controlling group which researchers have associated with the trolling of the parents of a missing child.

In my opinion the repetition and the choice of victims seen as vulnerable (and few can be more vulnerable than families of the missing) is typical bullying behaviour particularly when it is gang related.
I don't think it is an issue that can be properly addressed by those individuals with normal thought processes such as unaffiliated researchers trying for understanding (maybe Dr Synott or another of his ilk could be informed by threads such as this one?)

Snip
What drove the outpouring of bile about the McCanns by Leyland, a church-going mother-of-two in a sleepy English village, remains a mystery.

However, new research confirms what many victims already know, that online trolls can be a sinister bunch.

A study by Canadian researchers cited in Psychology Today linked trolling to sadism.

“Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun… and the Internet is their playground!” it said.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/technology/111710-the-scourge-of-internet-trolls.html


Do you have a link to this research please?

snip/
"Brenda Leyland was a cog in the wheel of a far larger organised controlled and controlling group which researchers have associated with the trolling of the parents of a missing child."

I have practically provided a link to the farm my breakfast eggs came from in that post. 

Of course I have a link to support "Brenda Leyland was a cog in the wheel of a far larger organised controlled and controlling group which researchers have associated with the trolling of the parents of a missing child."
Probably even more than one if it comes to that when considering the sum total of the published research and abstracts and I may touch on it in a future post.

In the interim until I have time to accede to your request, I am content to state IN MY OPINION ... but fear not ... I shall come back to your request particularly as I consider you appear to be using a tried and tested deflection technique identified by one of the researchers to ensure salient points are ignored in the twitter slanging match (my words) which ensues.  Interesting.

Tell me though, why does the notion that Brenda was 'a cog in the wheel' concern you so much?  Do you have information she may have been more than or less than that?

[Sunny]

Sky News reporter was just doing his job
In view of the public interest in the so-called “trolling” of the McCanns by Twitter users, the news organisation appears to have behaved perfectly properly
By Telegraph View6:25AM BST 07 Oct 2014

The apparent suicide of Brenda Leyland following her unmasking as an alleged abuser on Twitter of the McCann family is a tragedy all round. For her family, the circumstances of her death will compound the loss they must feel. For Mr and Mrs McCann, who have suffered so much since the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine, it is another ghastly consequence of her disappearance.

Now, though, an attempt is being made to force the dismissal of the Sky News reporter Martin Brunt, who confronted Mrs Leyland about a series of comments made on her anonymous Twitter account. A campaign has begun on the social media site Facebook demanding his sacking. This is unfair. Mr Brunt was just doing his job and, by all accounts, scrupulously followed guidelines for handling such stories. The Sky report did not identify the village where Mrs Leyland lived and she was referred to only by her Twitter name. Moreover, registration plates on nearby cars were pixelated.

Sky News’s guidelines state: “Any grounds for an investigation that involves significant intrusion into any individual’s privacy must be very strong.” In view of the public interest in the so-called “trolling” of the McCanns by Twitter users, the news organisation appears to have behaved perfectly properly. While the exchanges may turn out to have been a tipping point for Mrs Leyland, no direct link has yet been made between the incident and her sad death.

Mrs Leyland was said to be one of dozens of people – and by no means the worst – to have attacked Kate and Gerry McCann over the internet and often under the cover of anonymity. The police spend huge amounts of time investigating this abuse. In the end, the perpetrators must take responsibility for their own actions.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/11143889/Sky-News-reporter-was-just-doing-his-job.html

Thank you for your opinion piece Brietta. So perhaps you would say the BBC were "just doing their job" regarding Cliff Richard.

A sledgehammer to crack a nut is not doing your job IMO.

Why couldn't Brunt have given Brenda Leyland anonymity.  She wasn't breaking the law and hadn't been arrested.
 
Perhaps a shadowed image of her talking, even saying she lived in Leicestershire.  Then I am sure she would have gone away as the supporters wanted but she wouldn't have had her entire life devastated by our media naming her, speaking to her neighbours, watching her house and all the while screaming TROLL at her.

But perhaps you think what Brunt started finished with Brenda Leyland is all OK even though you decry what the media appear to have done to the McCanns in 2007.

A smidgen of hypocrisy from some supporters IMO.

[Sunny]

Martin Brunt described how he discovered BL's details.   When he confronted her he didn't use her name.

Yes he did Lace. He was given the name Brenda Leyland and that she lived in Leicester(shire).   Probably not hard to find her with most of the information required I would imagine.

He didn't discover Brenda, he was handed her on a plate and IMO he thought she was an easy target.  Middle class woman in her 60s who lived alone fairly near the McCanns. He knew she wouldn't argue back and would be upset IMO.

I think if it was he who chose her it was for that reason alone.

[Mr Gray]

I think posters need to remember that imo it was brendas prolific online abuse that put her in the media, spotlight... I have sympathy  for her as a person but none for her exposure... She brought that on herself

[Sunny]

I think posters need to remember that it was imo brendas prolific online abuse that put her in the media, spotlight... I have sympathy  for her as a person but none for her exposure... She brought that on herself

Brenda made an average of just over 3 tweets a day I think and I am sure they weren't all on the McCann case.

She made 4625 tweets in 4 years I have read.

Hardly prolific certainly not in the league of yours (or mine) posts on here IMO.

She wasn't just exposed, every aspect of her life was scrutinised and attacked by virtually every media outlet in the UK and many abroad.

I have never seen anything like it before or since.   

And all for just over 4600 tweets.

[slartibartfast]

Well there are two such groups in my opinion.
The group that do a great deal of "researching", writing letters, sending FOIs and have had meetings and have visited Gerry's workplace and put leaflets through the McCann's neighbour's doors etc.

Then there is the Facebook group who let it be known if any of the family are spotted and share this information.
They spend much time in posting libel, and generally mocking Madeleine's family.

I don't think you would be happy in either group.
And that is intended as a compliment.

You missed the group that compiled dossiers.

[Sunny]

You missed the group that compiled dossiers.

I am not sure you could call members of forums with similar views a "group" they are simply people who are interested in the case and want to discuss it. Perhaps we are all part of a Miscarriage of Justice Forum Group.  There's a thought!

IMO there is only one organised group and that IS the one that systematically compiled the dossier and spent hours and hours searching for the identity of sceptics such as Brenda Leyland. They are (or at least were) very organised IMO.

[jassi]

You missed the group that compiled dossiers.

Clearly well organised and highly motivated, that one.  IMO

[jassi]

I am not sure you could call members of forums with similar views a "group" they are simply people who are interested in the case and want to discuss it. Perhaps we are all part of a Miscarriage of Justice Forum Group.  There's a thought!

IMO there is only one organised group and that IS the one that systematically compiled the dossier and spent hours and hours searching for the identity of sceptics such as Brenda Leyland. They are (or at least were) very organised IMO.

They must have got together, either physically or via some internet link in order to compile. Dossiers don't just grow on trees you know   

[slartibartfast]

Clearly well organised and highly motivated, that one.  IMO

...and judging by some of the tweets I have seen, gleeful when they thought they had succeeded in hurting someone.

[Brietta]

Thank you for your opinion piece Brietta. So perhaps you would say the BBC were "just doing their job" regarding Cliff Richard.

A sledgehammer to crack a nut is not doing your job IMO.

Why couldn't Brunt have given Brenda Leyland anonymity.  She wasn't breaking the law and hadn't been arrested.
 
Perhaps a shadowed image of her talking, even saying she lived in Leicestershire.  Then I am sure she would have gone away as the supporters wanted but she wouldn't have had her entire life devastated by our media naming her, speaking to her neighbours, watching her house and all the while screaming TROLL at her.

But perhaps you think what Brunt started finished with Brenda Leyland is all OK even though you decry what the media appear to have done to the McCanns in 2007.

A smidgen of hypocrisy from some supporters IMO.

Perhaps you missed ... "Mr Brunt was just doing his job and, by all accounts, scrupulously followed guidelines for handling such stories. The Sky report did not identify the village where Mrs Leyland lived and she was referred to only by her Twitter name. Moreover, registration plates on nearby cars were pixelated."

[Sunny]

...and judging by some of the tweets I have seen, gleeful when they thought they had succeeded in hurting someone.

And some forum posts elsewhere also Slartibartfast.  Some supporters main reason for being on various forums and some on twitter appears to be simply to abuse and accuse sceptics whilst aiming find out who they are IRL. This is IMO of course.

[slartibartfast]

Now that every group has been besmirched, perhaps time to call it a day on this thread.

[Erngath]

You missed the group that compiled dossiers.

I believe the question was in relation to those who have hounded the McCann family.

[John]

So having said abuse is wrong you now, want to justify the abuse by brenda... That is somewhat inconsistent

Please don't misinterpret my comments.  I was explaining how twitter users get caught up in a gang mentality and lose all sense of proportion or right and wrong which they would experience in the real world. Some people manage the experience better than others.