i read (or maybe seen on the news) that Tia stayed with her grandmother every Thursday night, so I’m presuming that the rest of the week she was with her parents, though I havent seen them at all throughout this

I don’t know, It was her uncle or something that did the TV appeal, and her auntie was on Sky last night. I did read an article that quoted her step dad as saying the mother hadn’t slept for days since they last saw her. I guess they’ve just been too upset to be the ones talking to the media?

Her stepdad made a statement during the week saying how devastated they were and that Tias mother is in bits. Maybe the mam just isn’t emotionally able to go on camera and be interviewed. It’s a very very sad story. Especially now that her grandmother may be involved…

That’s what it says in the article above!

Will, the article has been updated. It started just stating a 46 year old woman and 39 year old man were arrested but has been changed as the news has come to light.

Poor kid,

I remember watching sky news (live) a few days and and the grandmother starting shouting at the cameras/ film crews to go away, she got very angry and aggressive, I found this very odd. The news crews are the next best thing to the poilice, as they give the public direct and up to date information.

Karla, the press are not there for the family, they are there for the story and that is all. They will print anything and everything to sell their papers, the treatment of Chris Jeffries is a case in point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Joanna_Yeates#Media_controversy .

If you had 24/7 intrusion by the press trying to get one up on their competitors and sticking there nose in every time you moved in a situation like this I’m fairly sure that sooner or later you would crack under the pressure. This is why in modern policing has a dedicated press liaison in high profile cases to try to give accurate information while not jeopardizing the investigation. In the case of Raoul Moat the police asked for a press blackout on his private life http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/10/raoul-moat-news-blackout-threats because he was a paranoid narcissist who threatened to kill more people if the press printed anymore lies.

The press can be a intrusive but sometimes in cases of missing kids the press is the best way for the public to be alerted and stay alert, always keeping an eye out. The more coverage the case gets the better.

All it took was for an 11 year old child to notice a man in a shop and tell her step dad, that man was arrested in less than 10 mins. That 11 year old was watching the news coverage, thanks to the press and a brave 11 year old the man was caught.

I take your point that it can be helpful at times Karla but it can also be extremely damaging to people as well. The press named Hazell as someone who was helping police with their inquires even though he wasn’t arrested. This lead to people on this website commenting that they “knew” it was him from watching a 90 second clip on Sky News. Look at Ognetty’s comment above ” It seems those that protest, go on TV and, in this case, wear T-shirts, are so often the perpetrators themselves.” ! I would love to know what they based that amazing insight on. Or other comments posted in the past 24 hours based completely on press comment, people who “read between the lines” and so on. You yourself drew inferences from a Sky News broadcast based on what?

Press coverage can be helpful in cases like this but only if it is responsible and that is my point. The Levenson
inquiry showed press hacking of phones in the murder inquiry of Milly Archer. There have been 265 murders in the UK so far this year http://www.citizensreportuk.org/reports/murders-fatal-violence-uk.html but the press only cover the ones in detail when they figure that it will sell more papers or as space. The press don’t care about the families and it will be very interesting to see if the man they have vilified and made a victim of hate over the last few days really is guilty of a crime.

And Karla where do the press get the information from to start from and I might add some information wrong where as the Gardai/ Police do not give out false statements they get facts first not hear say

They normally disable them on sensitive stories. Not sure why they aren’t in this case. You’re absolutely right Daithi.

I don’t think they should disable comments – if you feel something is inappropriate, report it. I’ve never seen comments stay up for any significant length of time.
I’m not saying you’re wrong – just my opinion.

I have to say though, I do wish some would put in more thought before they do comment.

As for Tia, tragedy seems to be the wrong word to use but it’s certainly tragic that her life has been cut short.
I hope the responsible, whoever they are, are appropriately punished.

I’m sure the CI channel is good but I prefer graduating from UCC as a basis for making my observations. For every Ian Huntley hogging the cameras there are a lot more suspects trying desperetly to keep them selves out of the limelight. People don’t see the words “seems” and “often” in your comment, they will only see what they want to see. You just have to look at some of the other comments over the last few days in this case.

What did you graduate in? I assume criminology given the authority you speak with. And it is not my problem what people don’t see when it is written in plain English. Are you one of those struggling to read it? Maybe UCC should re-evaluate their graduation requirements.