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Dead girl's mom tells of hacking damage
Source: Agencies |
November 22, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE mother of a murdered girl told a British courtroom yesterday she was led to believe her missing 13-year-old was still alive when she managed to reach her previously full voicemail - only to learn later her daughter's phone had been hacked by a newspaper.
Sally Dowler said when she could finally leave a message on her daughter Milly's voicemail weeks after the girl disappeared, she shouted: "She has picked up the voicemails! She is alive!"
In fact, messages on the phone had been deleted by someone working for the News of the World while the search for Milly went on.
The Dowlers were the first in a string of high-profile witnesses, including celebrities such as Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and author JK Rowling, to testify before a judicial inquiry into the methods used by journalists.
The Dowlers described their shock and anger when a private walk to retrace their missing daughter's last steps was secretly photographed by the News of the World.
Sally Dowler said she and her husband Bob had no idea they were being observed, but days later saw the pictures in the tabloid. "It just felt like such an intrusion into a really, really private grief moment," she said.
The Dowlers described a meeting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of the now closed News of the World, when he apologized for the hacking. "It was a very tense meeting," Sally Dowler said. "He was very sincere."
Later, actor Hugh Grant told the inquiry he believes his phone was hacked by the Mail newspaper. He said a 2007 story about his romantic life could only have been obtained by eavesdropping on his voicemails.
Sally Dowler said when she could finally leave a message on her daughter Milly's voicemail weeks after the girl disappeared, she shouted: "She has picked up the voicemails! She is alive!"
In fact, messages on the phone had been deleted by someone working for the News of the World while the search for Milly went on.
The Dowlers were the first in a string of high-profile witnesses, including celebrities such as Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and author JK Rowling, to testify before a judicial inquiry into the methods used by journalists.
The Dowlers described their shock and anger when a private walk to retrace their missing daughter's last steps was secretly photographed by the News of the World.
Sally Dowler said she and her husband Bob had no idea they were being observed, but days later saw the pictures in the tabloid. "It just felt like such an intrusion into a really, really private grief moment," she said.
The Dowlers described a meeting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of the now closed News of the World, when he apologized for the hacking. "It was a very tense meeting," Sally Dowler said. "He was very sincere."
Later, actor Hugh Grant told the inquiry he believes his phone was hacked by the Mail newspaper. He said a 2007 story about his romantic life could only have been obtained by eavesdropping on his voicemails.
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