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What happened to the Tia threads?

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Psammead · 11/08/2012 14:51

I am posting here as I guess they have been deleted and I didn't want to draw attention. I looked in chat and In The News and couldn't find a single thread. Did they go pear shaped? Is it a forbiddan topic now?

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CatherineMumsnet · 11/08/2012 15:00

Yep, we had to remove due to the level of speculation. Here's the post OliviaMumsnet wrote just before the latest one was removed:

Hello all
Just to let you know that we shall shortly be deleting this thread.
As we said, we do understand that feelings are running high this evening.
This is a situation every parent dreads.
But we don't think any good can come of unfounded speculation and blame.
And, as no one has been charged with murder, as yet, any posts that state or speculate on the identity of the killer are potentially libellous.
THANKS
MNHQ

HTH

MNHQ

HellenicGamesMumsnet · 11/08/2012 18:09

Evening. Just to be clear, we don't want to stop discussion of this (or anything else) but we do have two quite big ishoos with this particular story.

First - and most important of all - a mother has lost her daughter, in the most terrible of circumstances. And a family have lost a child. It's a situation every parent dreads, and we really don't think it's the time to point fingers/blame anyone.

Secondly, though people have been arrested, no one has been charged. And the body has not yet been identified. As things stand legally, naming anyone as Tia's murderer, implying anyone is Tia's murderer or saying anything about anyone's involvement with her (alleged) murder is potentially libellous. And leaves you, as the poster, and us at MNHQ liable for prosecution.

Those are the two key things we're bearing in mind when we decide to delete posts/threads about this.

Hope that's made thing a little clearer.

MNHQ

HellenicGamesMumsnet · 11/08/2012 19:14

@JugglingWithFiveRings

Aside from this case for a moment - and going off on one of my characteristic tangents - I wonder how fair it is that an individual especially or an organisation like MN could be prosecuted for speculation about an alleged murder. Have there been such prosecutions in the past ?

I feel with all these new social media sites, and with a long-standing and deeply defended right to free speech in this country, is it really right to continue to surpress speculation and discussion at such times ?

Don't fully understand how such speculation can hinder a fair trial.

Hopes my post surely cannot contain anything libelous ?

Yes, there were eight libel claims brought by Jo Yeates' landlord recently when there was speculation about him as being her murderer.

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