Los Angeles, November 30: Tina Meier, mother of Megan Meier, the 13-year-old who committed suicide in 2006, will press for the highest penalty against the woman found guilty in the cyber bullying case.
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Los Angeles, November 30: Tina Meier, mother of Megan Meier, the 13-year-old who committed suicide in 2006, will press for the highest penalty against the woman found guilty in the cyber bullying case.
Megan had hanged herself with a belt in her bedroom closet in response to the nasty messages sent to her as a part of the internet hoax.
A federal court in Los Angeles convicted Lori Drew, 49, of O'Fallon, Mo. on charges of misconduct and of accessing computers without permission in a landmark cyber bullying trial.
Drew and two others had been accused of posing as a 16-year-old boy on MySpace and mailing enticing messages to teenage neighbor Megan Meier. The fictitious boy deserted Megan in 2006 stating, "The world would be a better place without you."
Meier claimed that Drew's conviction will neither bring her daughter back nor will it fill the void created by her absence. However, the conviction will bring her some comfort and will guard children against bullying in the times to come. She said, "We all have to be able to understand if you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences."
Ms. Meier is working with a group named WiredSafety.org to spread Megan’s story. Once the word spreads, it will protect other children from cyber maltreatment. Understandably, Tina has no soft corner for Ms. Drew. The aggrieved mother will press for the maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $300,000 fine for Drew.
The verdict against Drew will ensure that the internet industry works towards making the net a secure and safe place. Andrew M. Grossman of the right-center Heritage Foundation stated, "If this verdict stands, it means that every site on the Internet gets to define the criminal law. That’s a radical change. What used to be small-stakes contracts become high-stakes criminal prohibitions."
Meanwhile Dean Steward, counsel for Drew has asked U.S. District Judge George Wu to dismiss the charges against his client. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29.
Justice Should Be Served To It's Fullest
There should be justice delivered here knowing that there has been a minor child dead because of an adult woman who though it would be a practical joke to push a severe mental child over the edge to commit suicide.
Mrs. Drew should serve the full sentence handed down to her for this reason.