Investigation into McCann internet trolls launched by police

[Jean-Pierre]

Exactly Brietta

And you have only to see the frisson of excitement going through some of the sites when a newspaper allows comments on an article even loosly related to the McCanns.  And the "call to arms" to post before comments are closed down.

Followed by crowing about how much support their views have from "the general public".  Laughable, if it was not so tragic. 

[Brietta]

Exactly Brietta

And you have only to see the frisson of excitement going through some of the sites when a newspaper allows comments on an article even loosly related to the McCanns.  And the "call to arms" to post before comments are closed down.

Followed by crowing about how much support their views have from "the general public".  Laughable, if it was not so tragic.

I think it is why the dossier which has been presented to the police has met with so many positive write ups in the press. 

Journalists are very well aware of the organised campaigns targeting comments on any article remotely connected to the McCanns; indeed some newspapers if they do not vet comments before printing just cancel the comment facility on any such article. 

I believe the press are more aware of the nature and volume of abuse directed at the family than they are given credit for.

[Carew]

Rainne the classic troll with eclectic taste to post bile about Muslims – Jews – Mormons; in fact anyone who took her fancy is not alone.  His/her saving grace may be that the lunacy was confined to its gang of one ... leaving the organised trolling to the real bullies of this world pretending concern for "maddy".

Doesn’t take much to get the McCann trolls going though. 

Anyone old enough to remember the BBC CW programme which was hate bombed by the troof seekers, you know the ones who express anxiety for Madeleine? 

Someone must recall the spite directed at the programme launching the request for information about Madeleine McCann.  The troofseekers are really concerned about what happened to that little girl ... absolutely desperate. 

Nobody here recall the campaign to get the broadcast pulled or the campaign to tie up the phone lines with their prepared scripts … just in case there was someone out there who might have had valuable information for the police trying to get through.
Must have forgotten their stated aims of being all for Madeleine for a couple of seconds ... which is how they justify their trolling of her family.  So not really for a couple of seconds then ... much more like over seven years.



Twitter trolls attack the McCanns with sick messages and taunts in run-up to Crimewatch appeal

    The parents received a torrent of abuse on Twitter and on internet forums
    One troll tweeted a  picture of the McCanns as the Moors murderers
    Police say they are monitoring internet for abusive messages

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2460017/Madeleine-McCann-Crimewatch-appeal-Twitter-trolls-attack-Kate-Gerry.html

The linked article posted is dated 14th October 2013.........and you have emboldened the statement ;

 "Police say they are monitoring internet for abusive messages."

So the dossier producers reported those they themselves consider are "breaking the law" to the authorities already monitoring the internet and presumably able to decide for themselves who is or isn`t breaking the law............and apparently have been doing so for at least the last year!

How on earth did this one person from the vigilante list come to be singled out for confrontation by Sky news when the Police had not done so themselves.............and may not have ever done so?

[Carew]

I think it is why the dossier which has been presented to the police has met with so many positive write ups in the press. 

Journalists are very well aware of the organised campaigns targeting comments on any article remotely connected to the McCanns; indeed some newspapers if they do not vet comments before printing just cancel the comment facility on any such article. 

I believe the press are more aware of the nature and volume of abuse directed at the family than they are given credit for.

Do you think that the "positive write ups" in the press indicate more random doorsteppings could be on the cards then ?

[Brietta]

The linked article posted is dated 14th October 2013.........and you have emboldened the statement ;

 "Police say they are monitoring internet for abusive messages."

So the dossier producers reported those they themselves consider are "breaking the law" to the authorities already monitoring the internet and presumably able to decide for themselves who is or isn`t breaking the law............and apparently have been doing so for at least the last year!

How on earth did this one person from the vigilante list come to be singled out for confrontation by Sky news when the Police had not done so themselves.............and may not have ever done so?

Yes, I am aware of the date of the article.

I am also aware that I could have posted articles about the campaigns of abuse directed at the McCanns for any day from the years 2012 – 2011 -2010 – 2009 – 2008 – 2007 not forgetting 2014.

Seven years of hate directed at Madeleine’s parents … and now Madeleine’s brother and sister.

Anyone who can condone or try to excuse such abuse certainly needs to examine their conscience very carefully indeed.
Anyone who indulges in such abuse should be dealt with by the full force of the law.

[Carew]

Yes, I am aware of the date of the article.

I am also aware that I could have posted articles about the campaigns of abuse directed at the McCanns for any day from the years 2012 – 2011 -2010 – 2009 – 2008 – 2007 not forgetting 2014.

Seven years of hate directed at Madeleine’s parents … and now Madeleine’s brother and sister.

Anyone who can condone or try to excuse such abuse certainly needs to examine their conscience very carefully indeed.
Anyone who indulges in such abuse should be dealt with by the full force of the law.

Leave out the emotive distractions away from the point that you have accepted in your post that the police were already aware of any potential law breaking with regard to the McCann family because they were monitoring the internet themselves.

Perhaps it will lead to dealings with by the full force of the law..............but how do you link this with your dossier via Sky News pre-empting this by selecting a target or targets themselves in advance?

[Wonderfulspam]

I'd have hoped that people might have stood back to reflect on their posts, but seemingly not.

Their daughter, their responsibility, no one elses.

[Alfred R Jones]

I'd have hoped that people might have stood back to reflect on their posts, but seemingly not.

Trolls and abusers tend not to be the most reflective of internet users. 

[Alfred R Jones]

After 7 years of blaming and abusing one wonders if the attraction of participating in this behaviour will ever wear off for the holier-than-thou online commentariat?  It doesn't look like it does it?  One has to wonder what sort of enjoyment is gained from this sort of behaviour, because clearly if it wasn't enjoyable it wouldn't have gone on for so long.   It is of course dressed up by the "sceptics" as some sort of holy crusade for justice but I think that's dishonest bullshit. 

[Brietta]

Leave out the emotive distractions away from the point that you have accepted in your post that the police were already aware of any potential law breaking with regard to the McCann family because they were monitoring the internet themselves.

Perhaps it will lead to dealings with by the full force of the law..............but how do you link this with your dossier via Sky News pre-empting this by selecting a target or targets themselves in advance?

Check out the title of the thread: you call over seven years of the most disgusting and vile attacks on the family of a missing child carried out by individuals who are little more than pack animals “emotive distractions”.

Just as it took an open front page letter addressed to the PM to get Madeleine’s case reviewed because nothing else worked … perhaps it will take the dossier which you call the ‘vigilante list’ to get some official action on those who have been breaking the law with impunity, some for over seven years now.

[Carew]

Check out the title of the thread: you call over seven years of the most disgusting and vile attacks on the family of a missing child carried out by individuals who are little more than pack animals “emotive distractions”.

Just as it took an open front page letter addressed to the PM to get Madeleine’s case reviewed because nothing else worked … perhaps it will take the dossier which you call the ‘vigilante list’ to get some official action on those who have been breaking the law with impunity, some for over seven years now.

Your glib use of emotive distractions to deflect is really quite cynical........and employed because you cannot reconcile the pre-emptive dossier waving at selected targets by the press with trying to claim the high moral ground in terms of upholding the law.

You acknowledge that the police were already monitoring the internet and are therefore aware of alleged "law breaking", but presumably if "official action" doesn`t shape up to your liking , it`s o.k. to do it yourself via Sky News?

[Eleanor]

If you go on Twitter and make abusive posts then you must expect to get abusive answers.

[stephen25000]

If you go on Twitter and make abusive posts then you must expect to get abusive answers.

That is why it is a good idea to avoid it like the plague.

[Eleanor]

That is why it is a good idea to avoid it like the plague.

Absolutely, Stephen.  I have no sympathy for anyone who gets abused on Twitter.

[Brietta]

Your glib use of emotive distractions to deflect is really quite cynical........and employed because you cannot reconcile the pre-emptive dossier waving at selected targets by the press with trying to claim the high moral ground in terms of upholding the law.

You acknowledge that the police were already monitoring the internet and are therefore aware of alleged "law breaking", but presumably if "official action" doesn`t shape up to your liking , it`s o.k. to do it yourself via Sky News?

Fact – a family has been under horrendous attack from anonymous cowards on the internet … trolls.

Fact – these cowardly trolls have been indulging obsessively in this pastime for over seven years.

Fact – next to nothing has been done by the police to curb these vicious trolls.

Fact – members of the public have been expressing concern about these attacks since 2007.

“jbobs    28 10 2007, 
Although I agree with some of your points fanoulla, I still think that whatever the media or their families have said, it does not justify the attacks on Gerry and Kate. Some truly wicked accusations have been said about them whilst they are going through what no parent would ever want to face.
I can understand why people don't like them but I don't think some people that have said such awful things (media and the public) are very likeable people either.
I don't agree that the McCanns want alot, I think having Madeleine back is the only thing that they want.” http://boards.dailymail.co.uk/news-board-moderated/9852913-cruelty-aimed-mccanns-3-print.html

Fact – concerned members of the public compiled a dossier on the worst of these trolls.

Fact – the dossier was handed to the police and we are told people will be investigated.