Lost In Some Loopholes

A while ago I wrote an entry about Megan Meier, a 13 year old girl who was driven to commit suicide by means of a fake MySpace user account.

Megan, Image from CNN

A few minutes ago I read this article which indicates that no one involved in this tragedy will be prosecuted whatsoever.

St. Charles County, Missouri, Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said an 18-year-old woman posed as "Josh" on MySpace to find out what Megan was saying about a neighbor's daughter.

The message said Megan was "mean" to her friends, Banas said.

"There is no way that anybody could know that talking to someone or saying that you're mean to your friends on the Internet would create a substantial risk," Banas said. "It certainly created a potential risk and, unfortunately for the Meiers, that potential became reality. But under the law we just couldn't show that."

But Banas said that conclusion doesn't mean no one is to blame. "Regardless of what we can charge or what we can't charge, there is no question the adults should have said something to stop this," he said.

Asked whether he is satisfied with laws pertaining to the case, Banas said, "The bottom line is there are some -- I think -- loopholes that I think need to be cleaned up."

Obviously this whole incident clearly demonstrates that the laws in this area are in serious need of a massive overhaul. It's hard for me to fathom how a group of people can psychologically abuse a little girl to the point where she kills herself and somehow get off without even a slap on the wrist.

I sincerely hope that this isn't entirely over, and that additional efforts will be taken to bring about either prosecution of those involved or changes in the laws that apply (or rather should apply) to a case like this.