Even after the death of Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd, bullies are actively posting hateful messages on Facebook memorial pages.
Messages that poke fun at her death and make Todd out to be a villain are followed by reactions from the online community, shaming those attacking her.
Two “R.I.P. Amanda Todd” Facebook pages, which combined had nearly one million likes as of Saturday night, are filled with comments, photos, videos and messages. Some commenters mourned the loss of the teen, who was found dead on Wednesday, while others had a darker tone.
One picture shows the silhouette of a female body hanging dead along with the mocking phrase: “Todding.”
Other commenters said she deserved the negative attention that she’d received from bullies after having a topless photo posted online when she was in Grade 7.
The topless photo was also posted to the memorial Facebook pages.
Related:Amanda Todd suicide: The web has a lot to answer for
“You want to bully. Go for it — but the RCMP has set up an account for information on people who continue to bully her and it will be my pleasure to report you,” responded a Facebook user from Montreal after another user posted a doctored photo insulting Todd.
Todd, 15, was found dead in her home on Wednesday. The B.C. Coroners Service said preliminary indications suggested Todd committed suicide.
Five weeks prior to her death, Todd posted a YouTube video sharing that she’d been bullied and that as a result, she’d already attempted to take her life.
RCMP Sergeant Peter Thiessen says police are aware of the new posts on Facebook.
“It’s really a matter of those who are involved in it to realize the impact of what they are doing and that they are bordering on criminal acts,” said Thiessen. “If we get that type of evidence then we would be quick to lay a charge,”
No charges have been laid regarding the bullying of Todd.
“We are looking at what transpired in regards to Amanda, what transpired on social media, what transpired face to face, who may have had contact with her in that regard, and whether there’s evidence to support any sort of criminal charge to any person or persons who may have had an impact in the type of decision Amanda made.”
It’s very complicated, said Thiessen, to identify when comments become criminal. “I don’t know that I’m in a position to drill down into those details, but there are a number of areas in the criminal code, where charges can be laid, without getting into what those areas would be, and speculating on that. It’s a matter of accumulating the appropriate evidence to support the appropriate charge.”
Thiessen says police are asking people to stop posting inappropriate and hurtful comments and images online that continue to re-victimize the Todd family and others.
Police are asking tipsters send information on bullying against Todd to amandaTODDinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. So far, tips from around the globe are flooding in.
Although he won’t specify their exact geographic area, Thiessen told The Canadian Press that Mounties have received about 400 local and international tips.
He says between 20 and 25 full-time investigators are working on the case.
In her YouTube video, Todd recounted that classmates would tell her “look around — nobody likes you,” and punched her. “I was all alone and left on the ground.”
After her first suicide attempt, Todd says classmates wrote on social media “I hope she’s dead.” The teen went on to say “nobody cared.”
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