Call for site to be blocked over victim remarks

CALLS have been made for a “satirical” website to be blocked from internet search engines after it made a series of highly offensive remarks about bullying victim Phoebe Prince.

The disturbing references to the Co Clare teenager – who took her life after a sustained bullying campaign when she moved to Massachusetts, US – were made on controversial site Encyclopedia Dramatica.

In a new posting on the website, whose owner Joseph Evers has previously faced charges of racism and incitement to hatred, the tragic teen is referred to by a series of derogatory terms.

And in a disturbing reference to the consequences of the vicious campaign against Ms Prince, the website said her tormentors should “take pride in turning an average girl into a legendary hero”.

The offensive comments about Ms Prince – who died by suicide on January 15 after being subjected to a campaign of verbal and physical abuse by a group of teenagers at her local High School in South Hadley – have caused outrage among groups in the US set up to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

Daniel Cole, who established the website www.phoebeslaw.com in an attempt to force all states in the US to introduce new anti-bullying legislation, told the Irish Examiner that after e-mailing Encyclopedia Dramatica organisers asking “how could you write such terrible comments”, he was blocked from accessing the site.

He is now calling on all businesses advertising on the site to remove their connection with it, and for an online search engine barring order in the US and Ireland to be imposed.

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