Madeleine McCann's Father Calls for Tougher Media Regulation Following Accounts of Media "Tormenting".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has demanded more robust oversight for the UK media, detailing how intense press coverage made him feel as if he was being "drowning under the pressure".

The McCanns Tormented by Media Intrusion

Gerry McCann stated that his family was deeply affected by press "intrusions" and that the media had "repeatedly interfered with" the search for answers regarding his daughter's 2007 disappearance.

He noted that the media attention exacted a "heavy burden" on his family. "We endured constant scrutiny and inaccurate reports for many months that compelled us to take legal action to stop it," he commented.

"We were fortunate. We got through it. We received incredible backing. 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 stated.

An Appeal for Restart Press Regulation Review

McCann and his wife, Kate, are among a group of people who have put their names to a letter urging ministers to reopen the second phase of the Leveson inquiry, which was set up to look into the dynamic between the media and the police.

He expressed that it was not acceptable that over a year later, press regulation was "no longer a priority". He described how his family had been subjected to "monstering" by certain the media and that the press was "posted" outside his home for months after Madeleine went missing.

Recounting the Harassment

Describing the intrusion, he said: "Journalists coming to the house, cameras being shoved their cameras against our car window, when we had two-year-old twins in the back who were frightened, and how upsetting that is for you as a parent."

"It's the misleading narratives. It's the making up of stories to suit a narrative, rather than the facts, which causes immense harm," he stated.

A Demand for Stronger Regulation and Redress

He stated these actions showed why there needed to be more robust press regulation. "We'd be getting ready for bed, we'd put on the news, and there'd be major reports about ourselves and unverified claims," he told.

"That feeling is overwhelming, and you can see how people are broken by it and think they can't get out of it. It's so damaging, and we need that protection. There has to be redress. And at the minute, for most of the major publishers, there is no effective recourse," he argued.

Government Position and Changing News Environment

A government minister stated that a follow-up part of the inquiry had been discounted and that the media landscape was now profoundly changed.

"We agree that the situation has changed profoundly from the time the Leveson's second phase was proposed: people now are more likely to get their news from diverse digital platforms, which has presented new and different challenges," they stated.

It was also noted that weighing the needs of those affected with the principle of press freedom was a "complex balance to get right," but acknowledged that "action is needed in this area".

An Enduring Hope for Closure

The child went missing from a family vacation apartment in 2007 as a three-year-old. Her father expressed that it was "profoundly disappointing" how the press had consistently meddled with the investigation.

"Confidential details which was meant for police only... This meant a potential culprit, you knew a lot more than you should have done," he said.

On the prospect of finding Madeleine, he said the possibility he would find his daughter was "slim but it's not extinguished". "Our wish is to find her alive, but we need to establish the facts and see justice served, and other children are at risk while that perpetrator is free," he concluded.