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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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No Charges in Cyberbullying Suicide Case

Prosecutor pressing for internet harassment laws

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(Newser) – No charges will be filed in the cyberbullying case that led a young girl to commit suicide, Wired reports. A Missouri prosecutor found there was not enough evidence to prove criminal intent on the part of mother Lori Drew and others who launched an online bullying campaign against 13-year-old Megan Meier through a hoax MySpace persona called "Josh."

"Josh" first befriended Megan, then turned on her. She hung herself after "Josh" told her the world would be better off without her. The teenager believed to have written the message that pushed Meier over the edge remains under psychiatric care. She posted several messages to Meier while working in Lori Drew's home, according to the prosecutor.

The MySpace suicide case has highlighted the growing problem of cyberbullying. The prosecutor found not enough evidence of criminal intent to charge the people involved, but there are concerns that the law lags behind the growth of social sites like MySpace and Facebook.
The MySpace suicide case has highlighted the growing problem of cyberbullying. The prosecutor found not enough evidence of criminal intent to charge the people involved, but there are concerns that the...   (Flickr)
Tina Meier, 37, holds two pictures of her daughter Megan who committed suicide last October after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007, in St. Charles, Mo. Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself after receiving mean messages on the Internet social networking site. The 16-year old boy with whom...
Tina Meier, 37, holds two pictures of her daughter Megan who committed suicide last October after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007, in St. Charles, Mo. Megan Meier, 13, hanged...   (Associated Press)
News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, who owns the social networking Web site MySpace, speaks at the company's Global Energy Initiative in this May 9, 2007, file photo. The parents of Megan Meier, a Missouri teen who committed suicide, hope the people who made a fraudulent profile on MySpace will be...
News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, who owns the social networking Web site MySpace, speaks at the company's Global Energy Initiative in this May 9, 2007, file photo. The parents of Megan Meier, a Missouri...   (Associated Press)
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