TROLLS DRIVE FIND MADELEINE MCCANN CAMPAIGN OFF TWITTER

Sonia Poulton ‏@SoniaPoulton
.@findmadeleine tell the truth. Yr closing accounts because bad PR yesterday & people are asking questions. #McCann http:/link to pitchforking egocentricity removed

Trolls force McCanns to take down Madeleine search Twitter account

THE official Twitter of the search for Madeleine McCann is being shut down due to “continuous abuse and negativity”.

Administrators of the page, designed to raise awareness of missing Madeleine and others, announced the decision last night.

It came hours after they were involved in an online spat with the campaign to find missing British toddler Ben Needham.

The @FindMadeleine account sparked outrage when it blocked the @FindBenNeedham account

A manager of the Madeleine campaign said: “We do not want to be associated with some of the types of people they follow.”

Some individuals followed by Ben’s Twitter account are known to take an anti-McCann stance.

One tweeted: “How the hell is Kate McCann an ambassador (of charity Missing People)? She left her three kids alone to go on the p***.”

Ben’s mum Kerry said: “Ben’s campaign has never been anti McCann — we can’t help the fact that some members of the public give their opinion about the McCann case just the same as people give their opinion about Ben’s case.

“I have never once spoken badly about the family, I have only ever given my opinion about the way the two cases have been handled so differently by the authorities.”

The row was resolved on Sunday evening when the Madeleine account lifted its block – but the damage had already been done.

At 11.30pm on Sunday, the person in charge of the account tweeted: “Due to the continuous abuse and negativity on Twitter, we will be removing our account within the next few days.”

On Facebook, they added: “This is the last time I will address this issue. Gerry and Kate do not use social media and have asked me to manage the social media accounts for our campaign.

“In the past couple of weeks there has been a concerted effort to get people to stop looking for Madeleine. Some argue the search costs too much, others say it’s hopeless.

“We don’t believe the search for Madeleine is hopeless and putting up polls asking if the search should stop is not only crass, it’s cruel. How can one put a price on the life of a child?

“With that being said, I, and I alone, have made the decision to block ANYONE who thwarts the search for Madeleine via social media — whether that be with running commentary on the investigation, posting negative comments about the search/investigation/cost, or saying Madeleine is a lost cause.

“We believe Madeleine is alive and we have great faith in the Met. If you cannot be supportive of the search for Madeleine, please unlike/unfollow our social media pages. We want people who are hopeful and actually care about Madeleine being found supporting us.

“WE NEED YOUR HELP to find her and we don’t want negative comments filling our feeds.”

Ben Needham went missing on July 24, 1991, from the Greek island of Kos, There have been no sightings of the 21-month-old since.

Madeleine McCann was three years old when she disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007.

Madeleine McCann's parents remove official Twitter account because of 'continuous abuse' from trolls

BY RICHARD WHEATSTONE  14:27, 5 OCT 2015
The decision was taken by parents Gerry and Kate McCann because of the "hatred and sheer viciousness" directed at the family on the site

The official Twitter account of the Find Madeleine campaign has been taken down because of 'continuous abuse and negativity' from online trolls.

The decision was made by Maddie's parents Gerry and Kate McCann in the aftermath of a row with the Find Ben Needham Twitter account.

The Find Maddie account blocked the Ben Needham campaign on Twitter, saying "We do not want to be associated with some of the types of people they (@FindBen Needham) follow."

Ben Needham's mum has previously criticised the money spent by police on the search for Madeleine compared to her son - who disappeared in Greece 24 years ago - and other missing children.

Just hours after blocking the account, a statement was posted on the 'Find Madeleine' saying the campaign would remove itself from the 'toxic' social media site.

The statement said: "After talking with Kate and Gerry yesterday, we have decided to delete our Twitter account and focus on Facebook.

"They agree it's time to remove ourselves from a place that allows so much toxic content to be directed at us and does not permit us the ability to protect ourselves from people who want to damage the search for Madeleine.

"When I started our Facebook and Twitter accounts in 2008, I convinced Kate and Gerry it was a great way to raise awareness. Since that time, I have witnessed overwhelming kindness. There is no doubt that the good far outweigh the bad.

"I have been dismayed, however, at some of the hatred and sheer viciousness directed at Kate and Gerry through our social media accounts for no logical reason at all. At times, it has had me in tears.

"It is hard to accept that some people can be so cruel to a family that has already experienced the worst pain imaginable.  

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11913054/Madeleine-McCanns-parents-shut-down-Twitter-account-after-being-trolled-by-find-Ben-Needham-supporters.html

Madeleine McCann's parents shut down Twitter account after being trolled by find Ben Needham supporters
Kate and Gerry McCann say negative and hurtful postings were hampering the worldwide hunt for their daughter

The parents of Madeleine McCann have closed down an online Twitter account after being abused by "toxic" supporters of missing Ben Needham’s family.
Kate and Gerry McCann said it was "a great pity" they had to take the action but felt negative and hurtful postings were hampering the worldwide hunt for their daughter.

The web chief who runs the official Find Madeleine Campaign on Twitter, endorsed by the McCanns, said: "They agree it's time to remove ourselves from a place that allows so much toxic content to be directed at us and does not permit us the ability to protect ourselves from people who want to damage the search for Madeleine."

Kerry Needham recently questioned the vast amount of British taxpayers' money spent by police looking for Madeleine. So far £10.1 million has been used by Operation Grange with a further £2million pledged.
Mrs Needham's 21-month-old son Ben vanished in July 1991 from the Greek island of Kos.

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal’s Praia da Luz in May 2007. Both families believe their children could still be alive.
McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry have always supported the campaign to find Ben Needham. Indeed, they have promoted it on the Find Madeleine Campaign social media platform.

However, it is a great pity that due to continued, ill informed and abusive comments by some social media users, the decision was made to close the Find Madeleine Twitter account.
"Kate and Gerry continue to wish Kerry Needham the best and hope that one day she will be reunited with Ben, just as they continue to hope that they will similarly be reunited with Madeleine."
A source close to Madeleine's parents added: "There is no spat between the two campaigns.
"Ben’s mum has publically questioned the level of support and money Madeleine’s family has received and a number of her followers have taken to Twitter to vent their feelings.

"But the McCanns’ closing down a Twitter account because of abuse should not be seen as an attack on Ben’s family’s side."
Former GP Kate and heart doctor Gerry, both 47, of Rothley, Leics, made the decision to shut down Twitter despite not being social media users themselves. The Facebook campaign will continue to run.
The un-named Campaign "webmaster", a mother who has been running the site with a group of fellow supporters since 2008, posted on Facebook: "I convinced Kate and Gerry it was a great way to raise awareness and I have witnessed overwhelming kindness.

"I have been dismayed, however, at some of the hatred and sheer viciousness directed at Kate and Gerry through our social media accounts for no logical reason at all. At times, it has had me in tears.
"It is hard to accept that some people can be so cruel to a family that has already experienced the worst pain imaginable. Some argue the search costs too much, others say it's hopeless.
"Further, in the past three weeks on Twitter, we have found ourselves in the uncomfortable position of being expected to "follow" people who align themselves with accounts that abuse us in the most vile ways on a regular basis.

"Deleting our Twitter account is the only option left to protect ourselves and the search for Madeleine. She is what is important, and our job is to get her home. We believe Madeleine is alive and we have great faith in The Met."
The Help Find Ben Needham campaign posted this response on Facebook:

Help Find Ben Needham
Non-profit Organisation
Thank you to everyone for their support over the last few days. All recent posts regarding Twitter have been deleted and can we please ask you to keep this page about Ben and we all move on. We thank you all for your continuing support .  ‪#‎helpfindben‬

urcrazy » Mon Oct 05, 2015 8:31 pm
Kerry may say she has never bad mouthed the McCanns and as far as I know that's true.

But she did join a particularly nasty 'abduction or scam' Facebook page, apparently to thank supporters. She didn't need to do that. It looked awful frankly, I was really shocked.

And then the twitter account RTd a tweet suggesting that the McCanns have some kind of dark influence over government, the point where I unfollowed. Kerry needs to realise that in private these people call her every name under the sun and accuse her of being as 'guilty' as the McCanns.

They USE her and her pain in their endless, pointless war of bile.

They have raised 50 grand for that useless tub of incompetent lard who thought he could solve his financial problems by writing a book on the case he screwed up.

What have they done for Kerry?

catkins » Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:25 pm

Shame that Kerry Needham obviously hasn't seen what some of the trolls really think of her.... Especially that Wrafter woman who disgustingly calls herself justice for Madeleine or something!

Hael » Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:42 pm


There is more where that came from. Several posts by people who support Kerry, but behind her back have something different to say.

erngath » Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:56 pm
It's sad that Kerry had no idea of how two faced and vicious some trolls are.

Post by Hael » Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:24 am

erngath wrote:
It's sad that Kerry had no idea of how two faced and vicious some trolls are.

Whiterose wrote:
Well they've accomplished their goal haven't they, two families against each other, if you ask me that is what they've always wanted. I've noticed how they put the McCann's down, then say lovely things about Kerry and family. Such as when Kate was made Ambassador of Missing People it was 'Kerry would do a better job' etc. etc.

It really makes me sick, they lured Kerry in my opinion, all Kerry wants is to find Ben and anyone who holds out a hand to her she grasps, which I don't blame her for at all.

Now these vicious people are laughing at how this has turned out, the McCann's are the nasty ones of course not them.

I am disgusted about how some are revelling in this, saying the McCann's are flouncing, making out they are full of themselves. All they want is to get the message out to find their daughter, is that too much to ask, why do people who are just anti McCann have to behave in such a revolting manner, smearing a tag for a missing child with their bile.

If they are rejoicing, I hope they remember a little girl who is waiting to be found.

One can almost call it a type of grooming. Make friends, pretend to be supportive (while talking behind her back saying terrible things), gaining her trust, giving her advice (which most of the time is aimed at raising the issue of how the McCann's got more press than she did - putting ideas in her head), making her feel heard and then manipulating the situation to benefit their own agenda. No real consideration for Ben or for his family. If they cared for Kerry and Ben, they would never have put her in this position. But as you said, it has been their goal for some time now, to cause tension between the two families.

They also elect to forget that Kate McCann has done a lot for ALL missing people. Fundraising, raising the organisations profile, supporting other families of missing people and taking on a very public role of which she has been relentlessly targeted by the haters/trolls. She didn't have to take on the role, but she did. Not only for Madeleine, but for ALL missing people which includes Ben Needham.

Dumb, dumber and then there is Natasha Donn

Postby Hael » Wed Oct 07, 2015 4:08 pm
Online intrigue as McCanns close Twitter page and Amaral’s fund ‘goes missing’

Posted by portugalpress on October 06, 2015

Another eventful week online has seen the parents of Madeleine McCann shut down the Twitter account set up to find their daughter due to an “avalanche of offensive commentaries” from supporters of the family of Ben Needham - the toddler who went missing from the Greek island of Kos in 1991. The toxic mail was prompted by the findmadeleine feed’s “blocking” of an account supporting the hunt for Ben after Ben’s mother publicly questioned the £10.1 million (€13.6 million) of taxpayer’s money ploughed into the ongoing police hunt for Madeleine, when only €800,000 has been spent over many more years looking for her son.

But as the wrangle plays out in British and Portuguese press, another glitch has come to the surface.

Internet meddlers have “blocked” the gofundme page raising money to help beleaguered former detective Gonçalo Amaral fight the civil case taken out against him by the McCanns.

Whereas the page could previously be found by Google in a simple internet search, this week it suddenly became untraceable.

Bizarrely, search engine Bing still leads users to it - which has led to the online question: “Has Google prevented the search for Gonçalo Amaral Go Fund Me page… and if so why?”

The truth is that the page still exists and has now raised over €68,000.

In the British press this week, Jerry Lawton of the Daily Star stated that “a new libel case” begins tomorrow in Lisbon that could see appeal judges “strip the couple of £357,000 (just under €500,000), which they “hope to use” to find Madeleine.

A legal source has confirmed that the appeal is in the process of being considered but there is no indication for the time being when judges will reach a decision.

Nonetheless, what the Gofundme appeal online has ensured, said the source, is that Gonçalo Amaral is in a position to continue his legal fight, which he has repeatedly said centres on his own right to freedom of expression.

natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

- See more at: http://portugalresident.com/online-intr ... BRJ5B.dpuf

..........

Dear Ms Donn if you don't know how the internet works then maybe you shouldn't be on it or making such ignorant stupid comments as "Internet meddlers have “blocked” the gofundme page raising money to help beleaguered former detective Gonçalo Amaral fight the civil case taken out against him by the McCanns". Where is your proof of this allegation?

Have you been taking tips from the haters again? tut tut Sometimes there is a logic explanation to why things are they way they are, nothing sinister at all and certainly nothing to do with those pesky "internet meddlers".