UK Missing Child Spurs Questions of International Criminal Intrusion Tactics by Media

By Indianapolis Private Investigator, Lauth Investigations International, Inc., November 21, 2011

In 2002, a young schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, vanished while on her way home from school, leaving her desperate parents with only hope she would be found safe. Little did they realize their daughter’s disappearance would be the catalyst to revealing political scandal and evidence that media’s methods used to collect personal data threatens the very security of citizen’s privacy throughout the world.

On March 21, 2002, at approximately 3:00PM, Milly left school and boarded a train toward home. She exited the train one stop prior to her usual stop to see friends at a local cafe and proceeded to call her father at approximately 3:47PM to inform him she would be home shortly. She walked on foot toward the cafe and passed a friend of her sister Gemma, who had been waiting at the bus stop. When Milly didn’t arrive home as scheduled, they reported her missing at approximately 7:00PM that evening. Despite reviewing CCTV camera footage during the ensuing investigation into the child’s disappearance, authorities discovered there was no further sign of Milly following the witness sighting at the bus stop and her abduction was narrowed down to occurring within minutes of exiting the train and passing by the last person to see Milly alive at the bus stop.

Milly’s parents could only pray that she had run away and their hope only strengthened when authority’s made their assumption public indicating the young girl was probably not taken by force and presumed a runaway. Milly’s mother continued to hold on to hope Milly would respond to her numerous calls and text messages and come home. Extensive searches were launched by authorities, her parents appealed to the public in media interviews and even a significant reward offered for information leading to Milly’s whereabouts but without result. Her parents remained desperate for any word from their daughter to end the nightmare of ambiguity.

On September 18, 2002, their nightmare only deepened when Milly’s remains were discovered by mushroom pickers in the woods near Yately, Hampshire. Her cause of death could not be determined due to advanced decomposition, her possessions, to include her clothing and cell phone were never located, leaving little evidence. For Milly’s parents, what followed is an unimaginable roller coaster ride that has yet to slow down.

It was revealed that News of the World tabloid had hired a private detective, Glenn Mulcaire, to hack the missing child’s cell phone only days after her disappearance in 2002. Years later, in 2007, Mulcaire was arrested after admitting to hacking directly into the missing child’s cell phone account, proceeding to listen to voice mails and erasing messages to make room for new. While Mulcaire’s actions were interfering with the police investigation and potentially destroyed evidence, her parents were desperately awaiting any word from Milly following her disappearance and continued to repeatedly attempt to call and send text messages to her phone. Suddenly able to leave Milly a voicemail provided her family with false hope that she was still alive and the assumption she was checking her messages not aware Mulcaire has intentionally listened and deleted their daughter’s messages. The trauma and despair the Dowler’s were already experiencing was only intensified and extended upon learning of Mulcaire’s actions. After holding out so much hope they had been forced to face Milly may not be alive. In addition, the Dowler’s had suffered further media intrusion when they attempted to privately retrace the steps their daughter had traveled prior to her disappearance and pictures published in the tabloid.

Shortly after Mulcaire’s arrest and incarceration, News of the World’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, was arrested and admitted to intercepting voice mails belonging to the Royal Family’s aides. While news of the Royal Family’s media intrusion shocked the world, celebrities began coming forward to include Author, J.K. Rowling, the father of another missing child, Madeline Mcann, and even actor, Hugh Grant. Accusations began to abound the worldwide news agency was in violation of privacy and media intrusion. Allegations included phone and voice mail hacking while authorities were also suspected of accepting monetary bribes in cooperation for assisting journalists in the collection of private information.

Even years after Milly’s murder, her parents were never been permitted to privately grieve their tragic loss. Investigations and testimony to this day continue to reveal violations of privacy that occurring on what appears to be monumental levels and seems to reflect corrupt and commonly used information gathering tactics used by the now defunct News of the World. Probes have highlighted suspicion of wrongdoing and corruption infiltrating police and political arenas of those who may have assisted journalists in their quests to obtain private information on individuals within the public, the entertainment industry, and even penetrating the seemingly protective cloak of the Royal Family. Files seized in 2003, revealed reporters were specifically named in over 17,000 transactions where private information had been illegally obtained from criminal records and vehicle registrations, however the journalist were never interviewed by authorities. Based upon the information made public, one would naturally speculate if these questionable collection practices have been accepted universally throughout the Rupert Murdoch owned parent company, News Corporation, and extends into the United States mainstream media to include Fox, New York Post and even the Wall Street Journal among hundreds of other associated companies worldwide.

If these discoveries were not enough to heighten concern that only the tip of an international iceberg has been exposed revealing a commonality of nefarious international data collection practices, more information surfaced just yesterday. Apparently computers used by former News of the World journalists were destroyed by putting them through a grinder to ensure hard drives could not be recovered. In addition, developing news indicates a police raid occurred at the home of a retired Special Branch detective believed to be the primary whistle blower, evidencing authority’s repeated refusals or failures to investigate the accusations of illegal tactics used by journalists against the mainstream public and even dignitaries. This occurs only days before the retired detective is to give official testimony and present evidence to the head of the Sentencing Council for England and Whales, Lord Leveson. Appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron, Levesn is to advise the government on criminal punishment issues. On July 13, 2011 it was publicly announced Leveson would lead a official public inquiry into issues of media regulation violations raised by the ongoing news scandal. Later, Cameron announced the inquiry would also include BBC and social media outlets. Despite what appears to be a legitimate governmental inquiry into the many allegations of media misconduct to be headed by Leveson, the media was quick to express opposition reporting Leveson had attended two parties at the London home of Matthew Freud, PR executive married to media mogul, Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch. Taking into consideration,

To add insult to injury, at 7:25AM yesterday morning, it is reported another police raid occurred at the home of Alec Owens, former lead investigator for the Information Commissioner’s ‘Operation Motorman’ investigation also scheduled to testify and provide evidence to Leveson on November 30, 2011. The inticat Meanwhile, along with Hugh Grant and others, Milly’s parents have patiently waited for the opportunity to speak to Leveson and try to verbally express the ordeal they have endured and a loss incomprehensible to anyone that has not endured similar calamity. The Dowler’s are expected to be called as first witnesses this week during the beginning stages of the Leveson Inquiry. For years they have waited to publicly share not only the heart wrenching misfortune losing their innocent and beloved daughter, Milly, but also explain how they were further traumatized by the cold-hearted acts of a private detective and calculating journalists who circled like sharks targeting bait; their primary purpose to be the first to publish a twisted tidbit about a missing little girl who had already been victimized, her life stolen by a human predator. Actions taken without any regard for the agony Milly’s parents were experiencing during their desperate search for their missing child and the following shock experienced finding their beautiful daughter had been a victim of a homicide.

Little Milly Dowler, a little girl who became the catalyst that initiated the scrutiny of violations of privacy on an international level and a careful examination by authorities into the standards used by mainstream media and private detectives when obtaining personal information. A little girl’s life and tragic death has spurred an investigation into a media empire who has shown no evident compassion for the society they claim to serve. While watching this twisted tale continue to unfold, we must remain cognizant of every other victim that Milly and her family represent and also those of us simply attempting to live a quiet and private existence without intrusion, which we are all entitled to. We can only hope Milly’s legacy will result in the end of a reign of inhumane abuse of power used to intimidate and invade people’s lives and be replaced with improved oversight and penalties so we may all live in a better place where integrity prevails.

Author - Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults & Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Phone: 800-889-3463 (FIND)

Please contact Indianapolis Private Investigator, Thomas Lauth, for any investigations needed at 800.889.3463 or visit www.lauthinvestigations.com

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