ONLINE messages from
'trolls' who have directed
abusive threats at the
parents of Madeleine McCann
are being examined by
police.
|
Madeleine
McCann's online
abuse is being
investigated by
Scotland Yard[PA
] |
A file stretching to more
than 80 pages of Tweets,
Facebook and forum messages
suggesting Kate and Gerry
McCann should be "tortured"
or "killed" have been handed
over to Scotland Yard.
One message board comment
reportedly said: "These 2
should burn in hell."
According to Sky News other
posts in the online dossier
include:"I hope that the
McCanns are living in total
misery."
Some messages were even said
to have been directed at
Madeleine's younger
siblings, now aged nine.
The dossier of posts have
been gathered by members of
the public who are concerned
about the abuse.
|
Madeleine McCann
went missing in
Portugal in
2007, aged three
[PA ] |
A campaigner, who did not
wish to be named, 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."
The material is being
assessed by officers who are
liaising with prosecutors
and the missing girl's
family.
A Scotland Yard spokesman
said: "We can confirm we
received a letter and
documentation on September 9
which was passed to officers
from Operation Grange. They
are assessing its contents
and consulting with the CPS
and the McCann family."
Metropolitan Police have
been searching for Madeleine
since she went missing in
Portugal in May 2007, aged
three.
Social network trolling is a
mounting problem for police.
Last year Scotland Yard said
around 1,500 additional
crimes linked to internet
abuse were being reported to
the force each year |