McCanns, Hugh Grant & Co. Letter to Murdoch

by tasprin 23.04.14 16:26

GUARDIAN

Press victims' letter tells Rupert Murdoch of 'regret' over regulation

Madeleine McCann's parents and Hugh Grant among those expressing concern at News UK opposition to royal charter

Jason Deans

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant, have written to Rupert Murdoch expressing their "deep regret" that his UK newspapers are rejecting "meaningful reform" of industry regulation.

In a letter to Murdoch, executive chairman of News UK parent News Corp, and the rest of the company's board, they accused the Sun, Times and Sunday Times publisher of attempting to "preserve the failed [press regulation] arrangements of the past".

They also accused News UK of "leading a disreputable campaign of scaremongering" about the government-backed proposals for a new press self-regulator underpinned by royal charter, while failing to reflect the views of the majority of the British public, who they claimed back this system.

"We write now to express our deep regret that the management of News UK is turning its back on an important opportunity to restore trust," the letter states.
"In defiance of an exceptionally broad consensus of opinion in the UK about the best way for the press to proceed, News UK is rejecting meaningful reform of the UK self-regulatory system and attempting to preserve the failed arrangements of the past.
"Worse, News UK is leading a disreputable campaign of scaremongering while failing to reflect the majority view in its papers. You once said, Mr Murdoch, that newspapers had 'a great power for evil' – the power to withhold important information from the public. News UK papers are currently exercising that power."

News UK, along with most other newspaper and magazine publishers, is backing a rival self-regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, which is expected to be up and running by June. However, the royal charter-backed alternative system endorsed by the three main political parties only exists on paper.

The letter was sent to the News Corp board in New York on Tuesday by Jefferies, the man wrongly linked to the murder of Joanna Yeates who won libel damages from eight papers, on behalf of 20 signatories, with the backing of Hacked Off, the group campaigning on behalf of victims of press intrusion for stricter industry regulation.

Other signatories include Kate and Gerry McCann, Grant, Steve Coogan and former Formula One governing body president Max Mosley.

The letter has also been sent to a number of US politicians.
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The letter

17 April 2014

Dear Rupert Murdoch,

We are victims of unlawful actions by employees of the News of the World or the Sun, papers published by a News Corporation company.
As you know, the total cost to News Corporation of governance failure in the UK, including the opportunity cost and the damage to reputation, is incalculable, not least because prosecutions and litigation are likely to continue for years. We assume that everyone with an interest in the future of News Corp and its subsidiaries wants to ensure such failure cannot happen again, and that all appropriate steps are taken to restore the trust of the British public in the company and its papers.

We write now to express our deep regret that the management of News UK is turning its back on an important opportunity to restore trust. In defiance of an exceptionally broad consensus of opinion in the UK about the best way for the press to proceed, News UK is rejecting meaningful reform of the UK self-regulatory system and attempting to preserve the failed arrangements of the past.

Worse, News UK is leading a disreputable campaign of scaremongering while failing to reflect the majority view in its papers. You once said, Mr Murdoch, that newspapers had "a great power for evil" – the power to withhold important information from the public. News UK papers are currently exercising that power.

The arrangements set out in the UK royal charter on press self-regulation that was endorsed by all parties in the British parliament last March pose no threat to freedom of expression. If they did we would not endorse them. Nor would Britain's National Union of Journalists. Nor would the many prominent writers, directors, broadcasters and lawyers who have expressed their support. Nor would the vast majority of the British public.
Instead of embracing reform and so demonstrating that it has changed, News UK is digging itself into a hole of untrustworthiness and denial. Instead of making a break with a shameful past, it is clinging to that past. Unless there is a change of heart, News UK is again on course for governance failure, disastrous costs, harm to British citizens and public disgrace. We urge you to use your influence to ensure that the management of News UK embraces a change that is necessary, safe and good for both the company and the British public.
Yours,

Christopher Jefferies
Kate McCann
Gerry McCann
Hugh Grant
Steve Coogan
HJK
John Tulloch
Max Mosley
Mark Cann
Tom Rowland
Ben Noakes
Ed Blum
Charlotte Harris
Chris Bryant
Joan Smith
JRS Davies
Jacqui Hames
Jane Winter
Paul Dadge
Máire M Davies
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by whatliesbehindthesofa 23.04.14 17:20

'You once said, Mr Murdoch, that newspapers had "a great power for evil" – the power to withhold important information from the public. News UK papers are currently exercising that power.'

As the McCanns know only too well. The strange thing about this though is that they are currently benefiting from this 'withholding of the truth'. You'd think they'd shut up and count their blessings. Rubbing Murdoch up the wrong way seems an unwise course of action to me.

by The Rooster 23.04.14 18:11

I hope Murdoch deals the McCann's a Full House and finally drops them. I'm just watching Sky News slamming the Portugese Police. Pathetic! They must think we're all stupid.

by **tigger** 23.04.14 18:52

Considering that this effort was written by a number of educated people it comes across as an essay to pass an exam. Say an NVQ level 2.
'.....self-regulation that was endorsed by all ..' That should be 'which' imo.
Hugh Grant went to St.Paul's iirc. One would expect a few examples but the accusation is very general, it's all about past alleged transgressions.

However, full marks for the 'Dear Rupert Murdoch,'. - something I'd never expected to see. Again, the use of Christian name is strange, it's an official and communal letter, Imo Mr, or Dr. (In case of an honorary doctorate) would imo be correct,

Perhaps the next step will be 'Dear Elizabeth Windsor'? Seeing that it's a royal charter.

It is wonderful isn't it, that when they shut up for any length of time one feels quite neutral about them, then they pull the next trick out of the box and we're back to the whining teenagers again who've got some new weird bestest friends to help them in the quest for ~~honour and truth~~ censorship.

by Guest 23.04.14 19:06

"Biting the hand that feeds [or fed?]" comes to mind. And indeed, very poor style of writing, Tigger.

by **Tony Bennett** 23.04.14 20:36

tasprin wrote:The letter

17 April 2014

Dear Rupert Murdoch,

We are victims of unlawful actions by employees of the News of the World or the Sun, papers published by a News Corporation company.

REPLY: Thanks for posting, tasprin.

Is not the real point of this story in the very first line?

Had senior Met Officers like John Yates and Andy Hayman (both of whom were joined at the hip with Rupert Murdoch) actually investigated the News of the World and the Sun at the time for illegal 'phone hacking, and prosecuted those responsible, there would surely have been no need for 'Hacked Off' - and no need for us to be debating possible state control of the press

by diatribe 23.04.14 20:48

''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.

by **Tony Bennett** 23.04.14 21:06

diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.

Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Hugh Grant of course remains angry after all these years about his dalliance with a prostitute somewhere in the western U.S. IIRC.

Steve Coogan - I think a newspaper published something about his sexuality or private life

Max Mosley - exposed as having enjoyed S & M sessions for about 40 years without his family knowing

Chris Bryant - once featured in a neswspaper for advertising his wares dressed only in underpants on a gay dating site

Paul Dadge - fireman pictured rescuing someone from the 7/7 bombings whose only complaint against the newspapers is that the NOTW illegally hacked his 'phone. He did not have a complaint about the press publishing a photograph of him

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by whatliesbehindthesofa 23.04.14 21:07

diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.

Were Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant all siblings??? Shines a new light on the case, that's for sure!

by diatribe 23.04.14 21:14

Tony Bennett wrote:
diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.
Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Hugh Grant of course remains angry after all these years about his dalliance with a prostitute somewhere in the western U.S. IIRC.

Steve Coogan - I think a newspaper published something about his sexuality or private life

Max Mosley - exposed as having enjoyed S & M sessions for about 40 years without his family knowing

Chris Bryant - once featured in a neswspaper for advertising his wares dressed only in underpants on a gay dating site

Paul Dadge - fireman pictured rescuing someone from the 7/7 bombings whose only complaint against the newspapers is that the NOTW illegally hacked his 'phone. He did not have a complaint about the press publishing a photograph of him

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We obviously haven't developed such a refined degree of ironic repartee as that which exists beween your goodself and Ij yet, I guess we'll jus' have to work on it. big grin

by margaret 23.04.14 21:16

Tony Bennett wrote:
diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.
Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Christopher Jeffries should have been charged with wasting police time for concocting the story that he'd seen Joanna with two men the night of her disappearance, totally made up as he admitted. He is not a victim of press intrusion in my eyes, not does he have a valid complaint. He put himself up for scrutiny.

by **tigger** 24.04.14 6:38

margaret wrote:
Tony Bennett wrote:
diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.
Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Christopher Jeffries should have been charged with wasting police time for concocting the story that he'd seen Joanna with two men the night of her disappearance, totally made up as he admitted. He is not a victim of press intrusion in my eyes, not does he have a valid complaint. He put himself up for scrutiny.

Thank you!

The criticism some of these people have levelled at others in the press doesn't seem to matter.
Hugh Grant insulted the Welsh whilst he was a guest there, mistaking insult for wit. He shouldn't bother, without a script he's incapable of delivering anything worth hearing.
the McCanns have happily insulted and maligned anyone they chose and had it printed in the very same press they now want to censure and Jeffries lied, he should have been prosecuted for hampering the police investigation.

Note the glaring absence of the Dowlings. Sensible people.

by lj 25.04.14 19:13

diatribe wrote:
Tony Bennett wrote:
diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.
Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Hugh Grant of course remains angry after all these years about his dalliance with a prostitute somewhere in the western U.S. IIRC.

Steve Coogan - I think a newspaper published something about his sexuality or private life

Max Mosley - exposed as having enjoyed S & M sessions for about 40 years without his family knowing

Chris Bryant - once featured in a neswspaper for advertising his wares dressed only in underpants on a gay dating site

Paul Dadge - fireman pictured rescuing someone from the 7/7 bombings whose only complaint against the newspapers is that the NOTW illegally hacked his 'phone. He did not have a complaint about the press publishing a photograph of him

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We obviously haven't developed such a refined degree of ironic repartee as that which exists beween your goodself and Ij yet, I guess we'll jus' have to work on it.

You'll get there diatribe, you're doing just fine! titter

by Guest 25.04.14 19:21

lj wrote:
diatribe wrote:
Tony Bennett wrote:
diatribe wrote:''Victims of press intrusion, including the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant,''

Are we to assume from this that the parents of Madeleine McCann, Christopher Jefferies and Hugh Grant have been victimised by the intrusion of the press. I guess it must have been some kind of have a go at parents campaign.
Well, so far as Christopher Jeffries is concerned, he above all surely does have valid grounds for complaint. Some newspapers insinuated that he might have murdered Joanne Yates, when in fact it was Dutchman Vincent Tabak.

Hugh Grant of course remains angry after all these years about his dalliance with a prostitute somewhere in the western U.S. IIRC.

Steve Coogan - I think a newspaper published something about his sexuality or private life

Max Mosley - exposed as having enjoyed S & M sessions for about 40 years without his family knowing

Chris Bryant - once featured in a neswspaper for advertising his wares dressed only in underpants on a gay dating site

Paul Dadge - fireman pictured rescuing someone from the 7/7 bombings whose only complaint against the newspapers is that the NOTW illegally hacked his 'phone. He did not have a complaint about the press publishing a photograph of him

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

We obviously haven't developed such a refined degree of ironic repartee as that which exists beween your goodself and Ij yet, I guess we'll jus' have to work on it.

You'll get there diatribe, you're doing just fine!

There are two institutions embracing and embraced by sexual conundrum: the Roman Catholic Church, and the UK.
What a strange bunch of people parade around in either of them.

I happily pledge my allegiance to scandal and aberration-free brave little Belgium

by ultimaThule 25.04.14 19:39

Scandal and aberration-free Belgium, Portia? Doesn't the name Dutroux ring any bells? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The truth is that wherever there are people there will always be those who are corrupt, dishonest, and depraved, and the best efforts of the brave can't always combat them or contain their propensity for evil.

by Guest 28.04.14 16:41

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Interesting who is among the ones claiming press intrusion:

Kate McCann
Gerry McCann

...sawing off the branch you're sitting on

by Guest 28.04.14 19:35

Helene1 wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Interesting who is among the ones claiming press intrusion:

Kate McCann
Gerry McCann

...sawing off the branch you're sitting on

Have merged with this thread Helene1 and welcome to you.

by **Tony Bennett** 28.04.14 20:48

ultimaThule wrote:Scandal and aberration-free Belgium, Portia? Doesn't the name Dutroux ring any bells? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The truth is that wherever there are people there will always be those who are corrupt, dishonest, and depraved, and the best efforts of the brave can't always combat them or contain their propensity for evil.

Portia has quite a long history on this forum of taking swipes at England and Britain.

Being from Belgium, she might look even further than the Dutroux case at this:

Belgian child abuse report exposes Catholic clergy

Paedophilia expert unveils harrowing testimony and documents cases in almost every diocese

Ian Traynor, Brussels
Guardian, riday 10 September 2010 20.27 BST

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Belgium's Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard announcing the resignation of Brugge's bishop Roger Vangheluwe.
Photograph: Benoit Doppagne/AFP

Some of the most damning evidence of systematic child abuse by the Roman Catholic clergy to come to light was unveiled today by Belgium's leading authority on paedophilia, who published hundreds of pages of harrowing victim testimony detailing their traumas and suffering.

The explosive report by Peter Adriaenssens in the town of Louvain, east of Brussels, lists evidence of 476 instances of child abuse by priests and bishops going back 50 years.

Adriaenssens was appointed by the church last year to head an independent inquiry into the scandal. Since April, when Roger Vangheluwe, the bishop of Bruges, resigned after admitting persistently molesting a nephew, the Adriaenssens commission has been inundated with evidence, with hundreds of victims coming forward.

He has since documented cases of abuse occurring in almost every diocese in the country and in virtually every school run by the church. "We can say that no part of the country escapes sexual abuse of minors by one or several [church] members," said Adriaenssens.

"This is the church's Dutroux dossier," he added in reference to the notorious Belgian paedophile serial killer, Marc Dutroux, who kidnapped, tortured, abused and murdered six girls in 1995-6.

Speaking of the victims, Adriaenssens said that 13 had killed themselves, according to relatives, and another six had attempted suicide.

The 200-page report includes copious anonymous testimony from 124 of the victims "to honour their courage" in coming forward.

"There are days when I thank God for having the chance to speak," testified one woman.

"Four years of psychotherapy have taught me that silence kills. I have had enormous depressions, going as far as attempted suicide. At other times I think it would be wise to let sleeping dogs lie. But in the end I've chosen to speak ... Since the resignation of the bishop of Bruges, I am living again in anxiety and fear. And I am far away. I've chosen to live far from my country, hoping that the past won't rejoin me."

This testimony was from a woman abused in the 1980s, but most of the cases concerned young boys and teenagers, as well a documented case of a two-year-old boy being molested.

Another victim told of being repeatedly sexually molested by his parish priest for five years from the age of seven.

"From being a violated child, I myself became, several years later, an abuser of adolescents and was sentenced to eight years in jail of which I served four and a half … The priest's violations certainly strongly shaped my sexual identity and influenced my life choices."

The evidence presented, said the daily newspaper Le Soir, was of "immense persistent suffering which neither the church, justice, nor society have been able to assuage … Adriaenssens has done what everyone else declined to do – listen to the victims, understand them, and give them the place they deserve."

The abuse went back to the 1950s, was most common in the 60s and was tailing off by the 1980s, Adriaenssens said.

"The exposed cases are old, of course," he said. "Society has developed. But there's nothing to indicate that the number of paedophiles has diminished. Where are they today?"

Most of the victims were now middle-aged, but remained traumatised. Around half of the abusers had died.

The expert unveiled his report today because yesterday a Belgian court ruled that the material, seized by police in a highly controversial raid in June, was inadmissible in court because of the "disproportionate" police action and ordered it returned.

Pope Benedict criticised the Belgian authorities for "deplorable" conduct when in June they seized the commission's files, raided the headquarters of the Belgian Catholic church, held cardinals and bishops for several hours, took their mobile phones, and carried away computers and documents.

They questioned Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who retired as head of the Belgian church and archbishop of Brussels in January.

Two weeks ago Belgian newspapers published tape recordings of Danneels seeking to hush up the case of Vangheluwe, the Bruges bishop.

Vangheluwe's nephew secretly recorded Danneels pressing him to keep quiet about his uncle at least until he retired next year.

"I don't think you'd do yourself or him a favour by shouting this from the rooftops," the cardinal warned the victim, who replied angrily that his uncle had abused him for 13 years from the age of five.

The recordings were made in April and the bishop resigned two weeks later, the most senior clergyman in the Catholic church to have quit after being exposed for child abuse.

by ultimaThule 29.04.14 4:02

I'm way beyond being shocked by the atrocities our species commits on a daily basis, but reading your above response caused my jaw to drop, Tony,

For this degree of depraved indifference to the physical and psychological welfare of the most vulnerable of their flock to be systematically practised by men of the cloth who are charged with ministering to the spiritual wellbeing of children and adults alike almost beggars belief.

"He has since documented cases of abuse occurring in almost every diocese in the country and in virtually every school run by the church. "We can say that no part of the country escapes sexual abuse of minors by one or several [church] members," said Adriaenssens"

Multiplying the number of Catholic diocese and schools which exist around the world by the number of known victims of sexual abuse by bishops and priests in the comparatively small country of Belgium over the past 50 years results in a colossal amount of blighted lives and if we take a calculator on a trip back through the centuries, we will arrive at a figure which is akin to a form of genocide in terms of those whose experiences of this man-made religion left them unable to become all that they were intended to be by the purportedly merciful god who allegedly not only gave them life, but also sacrificed his own son in order that they could be saved.

This particular abuse of power by those of unworthy of it has to end and there can be no better starting point than the separation of church and state and the abolition of faith schools of every denomination. The future Charles III can be free to defend all the faiths he wants, but if heaven is populated by serial sex offenders who've spent their lives on earth masquerading as examples of moral probity it seems to me that hell may have a lot recommend it.

by ultimaThule 29.04.14 4:09

Helene1 wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Interesting who is among the ones claiming press intrusion:

Kate McCann
Gerry McCann

...sawing off the branch you're sitting on

Helene - you've joined the forum at an interesting time in its history smilie

As K&G are adept at repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and biting off hands that feed them, it's not surprising that they're determined to saw off the branch they're sitting on and launch themselves into freefall without a parachute. All that remains to be seen is who's going to catch them... sarcastic