Madeleine McCann's Parent Calls for Stronger Media Regulation Following Accounts of Press "Monstering".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has demanded greater scrutiny of the UK media, recounting how sustained media attention made him feel like he was being "drowning under the pressure".

A Family Tormented by Press "Abuses"

Gerry McCann stated that his family was tormented by press "intrusions" and that the media had "frequently disrupted" the search for answers regarding his daughter's going missing in 2007.

He noted that the media attention exacted a "huge toll" on his family. "We endured ongoing coverage and inaccurate reports for 15 months or more that compelled us to take legal action to stop it," he explained.

"We were fortunate. We survived. We received tremendous support. However, I assure you, there were times where I felt like I was being suffocated, and it was the media, mainly, not the situation we were in," he reflected.

An Appeal for Revive Press Regulation Review

The McCanns are among more than 30 people who have endorsed a letter urging the government to reopen the second part of the Leveson inquiry, which was set up to look into the links between the media and the police.

McCann said it was unacceptable that over a year later, press regulation was "not being prioritized". He said that his family had been endured "relentless targeting" by sections of the media and that the press was "posted" outside his home for an extended period after the disappearance.

Recounting the Harassment

Describing the intrusion, he said: "Journalists coming to the house, photographers literally ramming their cameras against our car window, when we had young twin children in the back who were scared, and how traumatic that is for you as a parent."

"It's the half-truths. It's the making up of stories to suit a narrative, rather than the truth, which destroys people's lives," he added.

A Demand for Tougher Regulation and Accountability

He said the conduct demonstrated why there needed to be stricter press regulation. "At night, as we prepared for bed, we'd put on the news, and there'd be major reports about ourselves and unverified claims," he said.

"That almost pulls you under, and you can see how people are broken by it and think they can't get out of it. The impact is devastating, and we need that protection. There has to be redress. And at the minute, for most of the large media outlets, there is no redress," he argued.

Official Position and Evolving Media Landscape

A government minister said that a follow-up part of the inquiry had been rejected and that the news environment was now drastically altered.

"Our position aligns that the context has evolved profoundly from the time the Leveson's second phase was recommended: the public is now more likely to get their news from diverse digital platforms, which has created new and different challenges," they stated.

They added that weighing the rights of victims with the principle of press freedom was a "complex balance to get right," but recognized that "action is needed in this area".

A Continued Search for Closure

The child went missing from a family vacation apartment in 2007 when she was three years old. It was stated that it was "deeply disturbing" how the press had consistently meddled with the investigation.

"Leaked information which was meant for police only... So if you were the perpetrator, you knew a lot more than you should have done," he said.

On the prospect of finding Madeleine, he said the hope he would find his daughter was "faint yet persistent". "I'd love to find her alive, but we need to establish the facts and see justice served, and people are at risk while whoever is responsible is free," he concluded.