WORLD / Newsmaker |
No charges in MySpace teen suicide case(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-04 11:18 Meier's family has been seeking legal changes since it became clear in recent weeks that it was unlikely anyone would be charged. Two Missouri communities, including Dardenne Prairie, have changed local laws to make Internet harassment a crime, and several others are considering measures. Changes are also being proposed to state law. Banas issued two pages about the case, noting disagreements between the neighborhood mother and her employee over what happened. For instance, the mother said her daughter and the employee came to her with the idea of creating the MySpace account. The employee said she created the account, but that it came from a brainstorming effort by all three. The mother maintained communications were supposed to remain civil. "She stated that she told the girls if they were going to do this, they were only to speak to Megan in polite terms and not say anything disrespectful," those documents say. The 18-year-old employee told the FBI that any time the 13-year-old talked to Megan on MySpace, the child's mother was present. The mother told the FBI she was not home when heated exchanges took place before the death. The 18-year-old employee first said the woman was, then said she was not, but that the woman's husband was. Tina Meier said the bottom line for her was that the other mother knew about the fake profile, knew Megan was on medication, and let the hoax continue. She said the fake profile was deleted right after the death. Then, she said, the woman didn't come clean. "Our daughter died, committed suicide, and she still didn't say a word," Meier said. "I still feel what she did is absolutely criminal." Meier's family has talked to attorneys about the case but has not filed a lawsuit. Meier has acknowledged that Megan was too young to have a MySpace account under the Web site's guidelines. But Tina Meier has explained that she was able to closely monitor the account. Meier said she has no hard feelings toward the 18-year-old. "I really hope she gets the help she needs, and I don't think she meant for this to happen to Megan," she said, adding that perhaps one day that woman will be able to educate people against cyberbullying. Of Megan's 13-year-old former friend, she said: "I certainly don't wish her any harm. Unfortunately, she doesn't get to pick her parents." |
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