www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS -- Wednesday, October 17, 2012 -- 3
Internet trolls mock suicide victim Police plead for comments to stop by Ro b er t M a n g e ls d or f staff reporter
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acebook pages created to memorialize suicide victim Amanda Todd have fallen prey to Internet trolls and cyberbullies, who are openly mocking the 15-year-old girl for taking her own life after she was tormented by bullies. Dozens of Internet forums have also taken to posting offensive pictures making light of Todd’s situation. One user named Trevor Corey Wayne Mustatia, from Grand Forks, B.C., mocked Todd’s previous attempt to commit suicide. “lol [sic] she tried to kill herself with bleach, shes an attention whore who accidentally went to far and actually succeeded in killing herself,” Mustatia posted to a Facebook page titled “RIP Amanda Todd.” That same page also featured a comment from a user named “Speedycat” who said Todd “got what she deserved.” Todd’s suicide has been a popular topic on the Internet forums 4chan and Reddit, where users have posted photoshopped pictures of the teen drinking bleach. Lower Mainland RCMP spokesperson Sergeant Peter Thiessen said police are monitoring the ongoing online harassment, which is taking a toll on the Todd family. “They are pleading with the
Facebook photo
Amanda Todd posted a video last month about her experiences being bullied. public and pleading with the youth to please stop posting these inappropriate comments,” he said. “They are trying to grieve the loss of their daughter … these comments are revictimizing the family.” Todd, who grew up in Maple Ridge, committed suicide last week after posting a video online a month earlier detailing years of bullying she endured. In the video, The former Westview secondary student describes how she was bullied online and at school, and was being blackmailed by a stranger online to provide nude photos. Wanda Cassidy, an SFU education professor and an expert in cyberbullying, said the anonymity of the Internet has led to the proliferation of online bullies and Internet trolls.
“Bullies used to be on the playground and you used to know who it is that was bullying you,” she said. “Now bullies can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet, and the act in an incredibly vicious way, with no repercussions.” Because cyberbullies don’t see their victims face-to-face, they don’t see the impact their words and actions have on their victim, Cassidy added. In the U.K., however, lawmakers have been successful in exposing online trolls, and bringing them to justice. In June, the UK High Court ruled that Facebook must disclose the names, email addresses, and Internet protocol (IP) addresses used to determine a computer’s location, to lawyers pursuing online
bullies who tormented a British mother. Earlier this month, English teen Matthew Woods, 19, was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail after posting offensive and sexually explicit comments online about a pair of girls who had been reported missing and feared dead. Cassidy said Canada needs to enact legislation to give police the ability to pursue and charge cyberbullies. “The legal system is always far behind where society is going,” said Cassidy. “It needs to catch up.” While new laws may be able to help curb harassment online, more needs to be done to prevent all manner of bullying behaviour. Many bullies lack empathy, and young people in par-
ticular have difficulty understanding the consequences of their actions, said Cassidy. “There seems to be an element of society that enjoys hurting people,” she said. “But they are learning this behaviour somewhere.” One of the most high profile examples of bullying takes place almost daily in the House of Commons. “Parliamentarians are some of the worst bullies, just look at the way they talk to each other,” said Cassidy. “What are we modeling as adults in society? We have to look at ourselves. We all have to take responsibility.” Thiessen acknowledged that bullying ranks second, behind substance abuse, for youth issues identified as concerns by the RCMP. He added that everyone in the community has a role in helping to keep schools bully free and to report any acts of bullying or assist those who are victims of bullying. Parents should always try to keep open lines of communication with their children so they are comfortable coming forward if they are being bullied at school. A number of resources are available to youth and their parents through the www. deal.org website. These include facts on what bullying is, why people bully and who they target and how parents can deal with their child, whether they are being bullied or are the ones doing the bullying. • Other recommended resources include www.bullying. org or www.cyberbullying.ca.
Investigation nets more than 1,000 tips so far by Ro b er t M a n g e ls d or f staff reporter
Ridge Meadows RCMP is participating in the investigation into the Oct. 10th suicide death of 15-year-old cyberbullying victim Amanda Todd, however false information and rumors flooding the police tip line are hampering progress. “One of our big challenges right now is false information that is being spread by people who appear to be trying to use Amanda’s story to do harm or make a profit,” said Sgt. Peter Thiessen, spokesperson for Lower Mainland District RCMP Regional Police Service. RCMP received more than 1,000 tips about the case as of Tuesday after-
noon, with tips coming in from across the world. Investigators spent considerable time Monday responding to rumours spreading through online and social media. One unfounded allegation involved the release of information by Internet “hacktivist” group Anonymous, identifying a Lower Mainland man as Todd’s tormenter. Another rumour involved the supposed release of Todd’s autopsy photos. This was quickly debunked by the B.C. Coroner’s Service but nevertheless caused extreme stress for Todd’s family and distracted investigators for hours. The intense media attention regarding Amanda’s death has also led to a number of fake websites and accounts
that purport to be fundraising for the Todd family. “Taking advantage of a family’s grief is despicable. We want to get the word out that there is one real account and anyone who is interested can make a donation at any RBC branch to the Amanda Todd Trust Account,” said Thiessen. The family established the account to handle unsolicited donations from people who have been touched by Amanda’s story and want to contribute to a positive legacy. Serious crime teams in Coquitlam and Ridge Meadows are working together, looking at who may have played a significant role in Todd’s suicide. “We’re following up on each individual tip in an effort to gain the evidence
we need to lay an appropriate charge if we’re able to do that under the criminal code,” said Theissen. Last month, Todd posted a video on Youtube called, “My story: Struggling, bullying, suicide, self harm.” In the video, Todd describes how she was bullied online and at school, about her struggles with drugs and alcohol and harming herself. She also describes being blackmailed by an Internet predator. After telling Todd how beautiful she was, the man asked Todd to flash him on her friend’s webcam. When she did, the man threatened to send the photo to all of Todd’s friends and family if she didn’t provide him with more nude pictures of herself. When she didn’t comply, the man sent the photos. See Investigation, p5
Anonymous weighs in on Todd case By Monisha Martins, staff reporter An online activist collective that has hacked into government websites claims to have tracked down the man who blackmailed a teenager who took her own life last week. Anonymous published a name, address and email of a New Westminster man on Pastebin.com, a website often used by programmers to store pieces of code. The information soon began circulating on social media through Facebook and Twitter. “We decided to go after the people who blackmailed her because it was the right thing to do,” said Anonymous New Jersey in a message to The News. The News is not releasing the man’s name until charges related to the Todd case are laid against him. The information released online also links the man to video chat sites frequented by underage girls. “Child pornography is literally all over the Internet and even on Google images. It’s ridiculous that we let this happen,” said Anonymous, adding that the group received one tip and tracked down via his online nickname. The ‘hacktivists’ also released an ominous video on Monday in which a person in a Guy Fawkes mask, with voice garbled, threatens those who bullied 15-year-old Amanda Todd. The video has since been removed because it violates YouTube policy. A man with a similar name appeared in Surrey Provincial Court on Monday on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference of a person under age 16 connected to an incident in Surrey on Aug. 1. The man told CTV-News he was unfairly targeted by Anonymous. The man said he was friends with Todd online, but did not bully her. Police also are warning against vigilantism and assure the public the information released by Anonymous is being investigated. New Westminster police Sgt. Diana McDaniel said the address posted online has been checked. “Those residents have nothing to do with Amanda Todd,” said McDaniel. “The connection to New Westminster is false from what we can tell.” New West police went to the home soon after the information was released and continue to monitor it. Anonymous is a loosely associated international group with the aim to expose “government and establishment hypocrisy.” Notably, the group launched attacks against the websites of MasterCard and Visa, highlighting their refusal to accept donations bound for WikiLeaks.