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Death of a Troll: Suicide Highlights The Perils and Prosecution of Anonymous Speech

1412627695611_wps_77_epa04193391_FILE_A_file_vThere is a sad story out of London that is a commentary on the mutating influence of anonymity on the Internet. Brenda Leyland killed herself after being confronted about her online abuse of the parents of the missing girl Madeleine McCann. Sky News tracked her down as the troll responsible for thousands of hate filled messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, whose three-year-old daughter went missing in Portugal in 2007.

What is interesting is that she faced a criminal investigation. We have previously discussed the worrisome trend in England in criminalizing different forms of speech. While Leyland (writing as @Sweepyface) was vicious, the 63-year-old was also engaged in what appears to be free speech. She is an online bully — something that we all have had to deal with on blogs as a constant reality. Some people find anonymity intoxicating — unleashing the most vile and hateful sides of personalities. It is truly chilling to think that some many people actively repress such impulses until they find a vehicle to attack others without accountability. However, I have serious concerns over the criminalization of speech.

Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has made clear that social media could be a criminal offence if they contain “credible threats of violence” or target an individual in a way that “may constitute harassment or stalking”. It is the harassment element that can be highly ambiguous. The prosecutors have said that “Grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false” messages can be a crime if a “public interest” case. That creates a huge chilling effect on a wide range of speech that some might see as offensive or untrue. As one of the greatest vehicles for free speech in the history of humanity, these prosecutions threaten to curtail a significant resource for free speech.

The article below cites a study by Canadian researchers that concluded that “Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun… and the Internet is their playground!”

The glee turned to a nightmare for Leyland when her true identity was revealed.

Source: Yahoo

329 thoughts on “Death of a Troll: Suicide Highlights The Perils and Prosecution of Anonymous Speech”

  2. Davidm2575:

    You were “there” like the church organist’s five-year-old was “there” at my wedding. You had proximity but no idea what was going on. A lot like what I’m reading now from our “experts” of recent vintage. The Romans had it right “adversus solem ne loquitor” (when someone is arguing or advocating something that is obviously and blatantly wrong). Keep talking. I’m enjoying the chuckle. We all are.

    1. Mespo, I notice that you avoid answering my direct questions regarding historical quotes. I provided direct links to their source previously in this thread. I hope you did not overlook them like Annie did.

    2. mespo – you that is not how adversus solem ne loquitor translates. Basically it translates as Don’t argue against the Sun. So I guess your point is that you are the Sun and are therefore perfect and we should just accept what you have to say as God’s truth.

  4. OT Sometime ago there was a story about a white lesbian couple whose baby was multi-racial and they were upset because they thought they were getting sperm from a white man. I made the point that the man may have looked white, but had the genes of a Black man. (I didn’t say exactly like that). I think I said that it only takes three generations. (brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin [BBB] mated with blonde hair, blue eyes, peach skin [bbp]. generation 2: that offspring mated with another bbp. generation 3:result may be either BBB or bbp or some other combination. Here’s an example: http://www.answers.com/article/1195112/7-unique-sets-of-twins-who-defied-the-odds?param4=ob-us-de-health#slide=8

    You probably wouldn’t know that Alicia and Jasmin were twins. That’s because Alicia’s eyes, skin and hair are dark while Jasmin has blue eyes and light skin and hair. They were born to a mother of Jamaican-English descent.

  5. David, I am being 100% serious when I say Dems are depressed. They have even stopped watching MSNBC. their ratings have really tanked of late. The ugly cousin of depression is anger. I truly believe that is a lot of what we’re seeing w/ some of the Dems here. It’s tough times to see the guy you invested so much energy and hope in piss on his leg daily. Maybe Obama can join this blog soon, between paid speeches and golf. He would be the triple crown of what some see as ideal commenters, a barrister, academic, and govt. employee!

  6. I would also like to hear Mespo’s comment on what Gene said about his leaving being related to “a fundamental disagreement about the principles of rule construction.”

    How can Mespo, Annie, and BettyKath believe they left because of one person in light of these quotes for why they left?

  7. Darren, Good connection to telephone harassment. I worked those criminal cases in the dark ages of telecommunications in the 70’s. No caller ID, all hardline phones, no computers. The phone company was always helpful in tracing for the prosecutors office, but it was just so cumbersome. So, just as people were able to take control of their phone communications w/ nascent technology, a new form of harassment and stalking has blossomed.

  8. I think this article provided some a place to discuss the issue but it might be time to consider starting anew and not allowing animosity to dictate what is written.

  9. I can actually see a criminal prosecution against the woman in the article, from at least the position as it could be considered harassment under the laws in my state. I have not familiarized myself with English law in this example.

    Sending numerous, in this case thousands, of unwanted or harassing communications, whether it be by voice, email, telephone, or other form of communication can be considered harassment.

    This is not just an example of an anonymous person writing a few mean comments or emails, this is a protracted action it seems directed against these parents with the intent to cause them distress. It is in my view no different than telephone harassment. Just a different communications medium.

    To those who know more of the psychological pathology that would lead a person to author such vindictiveness or the ensuing suicide, by it is troubling that a person might have been able to be helped before the suicide but for whatever reason did not.

    What is certain is the parents had a double hit from the harassment, then the relief that it might finally end, then the knowledge the person who did this is now dead, which could likely be the outcome of what their child suffered. A travesty all around.

  10. My heart goes out to the children of this 63 year old divorcee. She had 2 kids, and it doesn’t take much life experience to know she was probably a burden for those poor kids. But, a suicide is the worst for a family. It was the last narcissistic act of this profoundly disturbed and angry woman.

  13. Paul, I always like to look @ the positive side of things. Instead of all polemics on weekends, Darren has grown into his role as, IMO, the best weekend blogger there’s been here. Interesting posts and good follow up w/o all the secular sermonizing. I do miss Nal. An ideologue, but intellectually honest and a man of character. A true gentleman. This is just a little hissy fit. It will pass. I think it is, in large part, pity assistance.

  14. Internet Troll Video. Strange. At the 2:31 mark, there is a remark about lawyer trolls. Everything else is covered.

    1. Chuck, Annie and Mespo – the three of you are the most certain people on this blog right now. Your righteousness is overwhelming.

  17. My sister’s dog is known in the neighborhood for his bossy ways. He even tries to herd the geese. It’s hysterical to watch when the geese turn on him and snap at him with those sharp beaks. We heard him yelping a block away. My sister thinks he will learn his lesson eventually. I think he may be developmentally disabled.

  19. Nick Spinelli

    I’m thinking of setting up an Ignoring Internet Troll online class. I’m afraid I’ll get too many trolls signing up and sabotaging.
    ====================================
    Classic infiltration technique.

    “Have [trolls] teach how to avoid [trolls].” -Sun Tzu

    Ask the old Chinese general troll who is the mentor at the war colleges (Is War a Disease or An Art).

    The old general troll who is the mentor at the War Colleges got game.

    The obvious is not always easy to hide, but our system shows it happens big time.

    Go for it.

    Good for a laugh at least.

    There is that.

  20. Cheez Whiz it is for this cheap, and tear draped Whine party. Folks don’t need to read the archives, it’s Old Timers Day. Why don’t some of the folks who loved this blog go make some comments on the travelogue posts. It comes across as petty for not acknowledging JT on his great trip. Just a short, perfunctory one would do.

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