Madeleine McCann's Parents targeted by internet trolls - The Times

"Police have launched an investigation into a catalogue of online threats and abuse targeting the family of Madeleine McCann............" according to The Times.

I don't have an online subscription, perhaps someone who does can post the entire article.

After just reading the Sky News report, I guess I know why Martin Brunt wanted to interview McCann "sceptics".

Same story now in the Mail on line

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2777145/Police-probe-trolls-sending-hate-messages-McCanns-Detectives-investigate-given-dossier-catalogues-remarks-including-death-threats.html.

jeanmonroe Today at 1:06 am

Police probe trolls sending hate messages to McCanns: Detectives to investigate after being given dossier that catalogues remarks, including death threats
Trolls wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry had some involvement in their daughter's disappearance
Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger twin siblings
Majority of those posting messages use anonymous social media accounts
One reads: 'These two should burn in hell'... 'I'll supply the lighter - happily'
Dossier calls on police and MPs to crack down on such vile abuse


By Stephen Wright for the Daily Mail

Published: 00:06, 2 October 2014 | Updated: 00:46, 2 October 2014

Scotland Yard is investigating the posting online of hundreds of hate messages aimed at the McCanns.

Detectives have decided to act after being given a dossier which catalogues the abusive remarks – including death threats – aimed at the couple on Twitter, Facebook and online forums.

The messages have been posted by internet trolls who wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry, both 46, had some involvement in the disappearance of their three-year-old daughter Madeleine in Portugal in 2007.



(KM's 'Scrunchy face', NO 'tears')

The couple, who were cleared by police from any part in their daughter’s disappearance, have been told by trolls to ‘burn in hell’.

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine’s younger twin siblings, now aged nine. According to Sky News, ‘manipulated images’ involving the McCanns – many of them graphic – are also in wide circulation online.

The majority of those who post the vile messages use anonymous social media accounts, so their true identities are disguised.

(Texas girl missing for TWELVE years after she was ABDUCTED BY HER MOTHER and taken to Mexico during custody battle is rescued in secret mission)

But detectives, who are now in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a 65-page dossier on the campaign of abuse, are confident they can identify the culprits.

The dossier – compiled by members of the public who sympathise with the McCanns – calls on police and MPs to crack down on such abuse.

Under the 2003 Communications Act, it is an offence to send messages online that are grossly offensive.

Abuse: The messages have been posted by internet trolls who wrongly believe that Kate and Gerry had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine in Portugal in 2007

One troll – who uses the Twitter identity ‘Sweepyface’ and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag – was unrepentant when confronted over her campaign.

When asked about her comments directed at the McCanns, she told Sky News: ‘I’m entitled to.’ Among the other messages in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: ‘These two should burn in hell’… ‘I will supply the petrol’… ‘I’ll supply the lighter – happily’.

Other posts include: ‘We need some numbers for some assassins’ and ‘I want to see them… trampled by horses.’

Also, several trolls claim to live near to the McCanns. One troll who claimed to live in their village posted: ‘I’m going round with the cuffs and bags.’

Another troll who claimed to live locally said: ‘Saw KM at the gym today, gave her a look of utter disgust, managed to hold my tongue though.’

The dossier’s authors claim that at least six Twitter accounts have been set up principally to abuse the McCanns and their supporters.

The campaigner spearheading the appeal – who has asked to remain anonymous – told Sky News: ‘We’re very worried that it’s only going to take somebody to act out some of these discussions, some of the threats, and we couldn’t live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing.’

Former police chief and online child security expert Jim Gamble said: ‘I’m deeply concerned by the behaviours displayed… I think the time has come for the hardcore few in the midst of this group to be investigated.’

Detective Inspector Michael Kilkenny of the Metropolitan Police told the campaign group: ‘In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family, the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action, if any, should be undertaken.’

Last night the McCanns declined to comment.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2777145/Police-probe-trolls-sending-hate-messages-McCanns-Detectives-investigate-given-dossier-catalogues-remarks-including-death-threats.html#ixzz3EwPpicQa
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jeanmonroe
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unsurprisingly.... Comments are closed.
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jeanmonroe Today at 1:46 am

I suppose the 'trolls' also 'wrongly believed' that apartment G5A. McCanns holiday apartment, that the shutter wasn't 'smashed, forced, jemmied, broken' as told to them by the McCanns and their family 'members', resident, back in the UK on the er, 'fateful' night.

I suppose the 'trolls' also, WRONGLY believe that the McCanns said 'we weren't sure we'd get into the Tapas restaurant', even though the McCanns and their T7 friends had reservations reserved there, every night, for the WHOLE week, including the er, 'fateful' day, and as having reservations they, above all in PDL, were guarenteed to 'get into' the Tapas restaurant.

I suppose the 'trolls' also WRONGLY believe that the mother of a missing child would diliberately 'jeopardise' an investigation that sought to establish what happened to that 'missing' child, by not answering 48 questions put to her by police officers.

I suppose the 'trolls' also WRONGLY believe that the parents of a 'missing' child said 'we were glad the investigation (into their daughter's 'disappearance') was CLOSED.

I suppose the 'trolls' also WRONGLY believe that the mother of a 'missing' child said, "whether the case, ( into her daughter's 'disappearance'), is re-opened, or NOT, IT DOSEN'T MATTER"

I suppose....................the MET police will have to 'investigate' this chap (troll?) as he clearly WRONGLY believes that there is no clear evidence that the McCanns 'could' not have been 'involved' in their daughter's 'disappearance'

p. 316 of K McCann's book, madeleine.

In his statement to the Court, the Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police wrote: “While one or both of them may be innocent, there is no clear evidence that eliminates them from involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance”.

Good luck with 'interviewing' the ACC (troll?) of Leicestershire Police, DCI Mahogany!.


jeanmonroe
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Here's the full Times article:
Crime
Madeleine McCann’s parents targeted by internet trolls
Fiona Hamilton
1 October 2014
© Times Newspapers Limited 2014

Police have launched an investigation into a catalogue of online threats and abuse targeting the family of missing Madeleine McCann.

Scotland Yard has been handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at her parents Kate and Gerry McCann.

Internet “trolls”, usually hiding behind anonymous social media accounts, have posted the messages since 2007 when Madeleine, then aged three, disappeared from their holiday resort in Praia de Luz, Portugal.

Sky News reported that the abuse included suggestions that the McCanns be tortured and killed, reports of recent sightings of the couple and calls for them to “burn in hell”.

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine’s younger siblings, twins Sean and Amelie, now aged nine.

A group, who wish to remain anonymous, put the dossier together and are now calling on police to take action against the trolls.

One campaigner, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Sky News: “We’re very worried that it’s only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn’t live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing.

“We know that this is still continuing, that it’s escalating at an alarming rate, and becoming bolder and a lot of what they’re posting is becoming much more sinister.

“We would like to see police taking action because of the sheer orchestration that’s involved and the fact there are so many.”

The Met has been consulting the Crime Prosecution Service about the material.
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http://news.sky.com/story/1345871/mccanns-targeted-by-venomous-internet-trolls

McCanns Targeted By 'Venomous' Internet Trolls

Sky News reveals that campaigners are urging police and MPs to crack down on internet abuse directed at Madeleine McCann's family.

00:44, UK, Thursday 02October 2014

Video:Sky News Confronts McCann 'Troll'

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a catalogue of vile internet abuse targeting the family of Madeleine McCann including death threats, Sky News can reveal.

Officers are in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

Over the past few years hundreds of shocking messages have been posted by 'trolls' who believe - despite no evidence - that the McCanns had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter in Portugal in 2007.

These include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed and calls for them to "burn in hell".

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger siblings, now aged nine.

McCanns Targeted By Internet Trolls
Manipulated images involving the McCanns - many of them graphic - are also in wide circulation online.

One troll - who uses the Twitter identity "Sweepyface" and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag - was confronted by Sky News.

When asked about her use of social media to attack the couple, she replied: "I'm entitled to."

The dossier - compiled by members of the public alarmed at the online treatment of the McCanns and shown to Sky News - calls on police and MPs to act to crack down on such abuse.

The Met wrote to the campaigners: "In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action if any should be undertaken."

Among the messages identified in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: "These 2 should burn in hell"; "I will supply the petrol"; "I'll supply the lighter - happily".

Other posts include: "We need some numbers for some assassins on taps", "I hope that the McCanns are living in total misery" and "I want to see them smashed up the back of a bus or trampled by horses".

In one of her tweets "Sweepyface" called for the McCanns to suffer "for the rest of their miserable lives".

In addition to threats and abuse, several trolls have claimed to live nearby to the McCanns in Leicestershire and reported on their movements.

The campaigner spearheading the appeal - who has asked to remain anonymous - told Sky News: "We're very worried that it's only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn't live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing."

Author Anthony Summers, whose book Looking for Madeleine was published last month, said: "There is a campaign of hatred against the parents.

"It is venomous and vitriolic, most of it done by cowards. We are taken aback by the extent of the sheer evil behind it all."
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Anyone know if a libel 'claim' finale is imminent in Portugal?

I might be WRONG, but Dumbers, Frunt and Gammble to 'the fore' in these 'reports'.

I might be WRONG but 50 book 'sales' isn't going to provide a huge 'windfall' to be 'divvied' up amongst those three, is it?.


jeanmonroe

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/02/abuse-dossier-kate-gerry-mccann-police-madeleine Guardian

interested wrote:After just reading the Sky News report, I guess I know why Martin Brunt wanted to interview McCann "sceptics".

Exactly.

And as mccanns are not tweeting..and are ignoring blogs...ignoring all the trolls and nutters...they told us so...how do they know?
Spy army for: 'did somebody somewhere insult me'?

Does this explain why S&S took all posts off their FB page?

"tweeter posted few times": may they rot in Hell?

ok..

in connection with what? Maybe in connection them ruining Amarals life? Or what..?

So we had the sighting yesterday in Spain, now MSM is going totally overboard with the non existant trolls, hmm wonder what is being covered up now?

fred wrote:So we had the sighting yesterday in Spain, now MSM is going totally overboard with the non existant trolls, hmm wonder what is being covered up now?

Sighting in Spain?

(looks like I'm missing a lot re mccann lately...never mind)

I knew something was up.

Summers and Swan, after being all over the net and the papers like a rash, have now been silent for days.
Their Facebook page is then scrubbed clean.

That hell hole of a stalking cesspit Stop The Myths has been down for ages, citing 'maintenance'.

And the stories on Twitter about Brunt casting around for 'antis' to interview.


Anyone who thinks these happenings are not related needs a good head doctor.

almostgothic wrote:I knew something was up.

Summers and Swan, after being all over the net and the papers like a rash, have now been silent for days.
Their Facebook page is then scrubbed clean.

That hell hole of a stalking cesspit Stop The Myths has been down for ages, citing 'maintenance'.

And the stories on Twitter about Brunt casting around for 'antis' to interview.


Anyone who thinks these happenings are not related needs a good head doctor.

You are so right.

How pathetic lives they live. They have nothing else. Very sad.

I wonder if police will investigate the connections..why what was said. Or are they just happy with 'out of connection' tweets?

If the police have any sense at all, they will see this for what it is - another PR stunt by the McCanns' lackeys (both paid and unpaid) to discredit those who seek the truth.
And then vow to redouble their efforts to apprehend the real villains - those responsible for the demise of Madeleine McCann and those who have aided and abetted them for 7+ years.

Sky News ‏@SkyNews  2h2 hours ago
What happened when @skymartinbrunt confronted an alleged Twitter troll targeting the parents of Madeleine McCann? https://vine.co/v/OmXDK9Lpe2O

brunt is a troll.

Brunt is Cockney rhyming slang.

And STM is open for business again.
Surprised - NOT.
ETA - it's closed again.

weissnicht wrote:

almostgothic wrote:I knew something was up.

Summers and Swan, after being all over the net and the papers like a rash, have now been silent for days.
Their Facebook page is then scrubbed clean.

That hell hole of a stalking cesspit Stop The Myths has been down for ages, citing 'maintenance'.

And the stories on Twitter about Brunt casting around for 'antis' to interview.


Anyone who thinks these happenings are not related needs a good head doctor.

You are so right.

How pathetic lives they live. They have nothing else. Very sad.

I wonder if police will investigate the connections..why what was said. Or are they just happy with 'out of connection' tweets?

Hi Weissnicht, very well said.

In my opinion, it isn't the McCanns critics who should be investigated, it is the McCanns themselves, along with those who have protected them, including those within the police force.

As for the McCanns receiving poisonous messages, Kate McCann isn't behind the door with this kind of behaviour She sent out a poisonous message of her own, towards Goncalo Amaral, when she said he deserved to feel fear. She has also used the 'f' word towards him many times in her book which was serialised in a newspaper, the same newspaper, which is now trying to put the frighteners on those who criticise the McCanns.

If the police think that Kate McCann's use of foul language towards Goncalo Amaral along with a poisonous remark, is acceptable behaviour, then any critical comments made by posters, towards the McCanns, is also acceptable behaviour.

Like many other people, I've been a member of various forums, where the main topic is criticising the McCanns and very few posters have used the gutter language towards them.

Lets get things into perspective here. Its not so much about the use of bad language towards them or the venting of feelings/opinions, its about threats made. If it is true that there are people close to where the McCanns live who use the same gym/shops etc and if they are making threats via social media, threatening the McCanns with their lives, that is a different issue altogether.

But venting feelings and opinions on social media has also helped to keep Madeleine uppermost in the public's minds and is not a bad thing either.

Sky have shown doctored photographs of the McCanns ridiculing them but I think when it comes down to the nitty gritty it will be those posters who have made threats to the McCanns who could face prosecution.

I agree LJC no one should make life affecting threats to the McCs or anyone else. I haven't seen anyone on this site or two other sites I visit make threats against the life of K and G. However, im not saying it doesn't happen.  There is also a case where there was pages of headlines about a death threat when it was apparently not and investigated by the police who were taking no action.

If the sample given are true, then the people concerned should be investigated.  I also think K should be investigated for the things she says about Amaral and how she wants him to feel fear.  Is that not a threat or because she says it does that make it all right.  I am not condoning the behaviour of those who are alleged to have made threats but if one is being investigated so should another.  

There is something else going on here.  A "definite account of the events of missing Madeleine" bombs,  another sighting, the McCs all over the press again. Or is this connected somehow to Portugal and the libel trial. ETA or is this to do with the petition asking for a forensic accounting investigation in to the Fund/limited company

Martin Brunt is on Twitter at 2pm answering questions about the 'online abuse targetted at Madeleine McCanns family' send in your questions, tweet #AskBrunt

wjk wrote:Martin Brunt is on Twitter at 2pm answering questions about the 'online abuse targetted at Madeleine McCanns family' send in your questions, tweet #AskBrunt

Another Brunt trap?
Be careful out there, tweeters ...

this is so orchestrated it is beyond belief. do they really think this will help to change public opinion of the McCs. I doubt it. I note that none are taking comments, wonder why that is?

Bruntys sky interviews regarding the FULL DNA etc are all over Facebook...oh dear.....he's a 'troll'

How is it a threat to see them in a gym and remark about it.


Goes to prove, all is not well In rothely.



My bet is.....case closed re SY report and mccanns relocate due to 'trolls'

Didn't Kate say that she wanted Robert Murat "dead"? Is that not trolling?