Tuesday 7th October

Whether you think that the McCann’s were simply guilty of neglect on leaving their three young children alone or indeed guilty of a much more evil crime, one cannot help but be amazed at how the tragedy continues to unfold.  On Thursday I think it was I watched Sky news as one of their reporters confronted a woman who they accused of being an internet troll.  This woman, under the hashtag “@Sweepyface” had apparently posted awful tweets about the McCann’s.  What amazed me was her first response, “I am entitled to my opinion”.  And actually, of course so we all are.  We pride ourselves as a society on free speech, though actually that is quite curtailed.  You may not incite race or gender hatred and you cannot be seen to support or aid so-called terrorists, and now the internet, which was supposed to be an area of complete free speech is also being controlled. But arguments about Civil Liberty versus Human Rights can be left for another day.  I was struck by this woman’s sense of righteous indignation that anyone should think her comments even inappropriate.

Well now it appears she has taken her own life (presumably pursued by a voracious media or just simply realizing her own guilt); another pointless waste of human life.  And I wonder how Kate and Gerry McCann must be feeling.  They or friends of theirs instigated the latest press furore over internet trolls and their vile comments – which until then I and the vast majority of the population must have been unaware.  Inadvertently these obnoxious comments were now given a much wider audience.  And now this ‘troll’ has killed herself.  And so the McCann tragedy continues, which was all started one summer night in Portugal when the real crime was committed.  I wonder if we will ever discover the truth and put an end to all this misery.