A VILE website which mocks the murder of Sophie Lancaster has been slammed by her appalled mother.
Sylvia Lancaster said she was desperate for the hurtful webpage glorifying the killers of her 20-year-old daughter to be taken offline.
The site called Encyclopedia Dramatica praises Sophie’s killers Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris, and others involved in the 2007 Bacup murder, saying they should be ‘knighted’ rather than be in prison.
It comes as a double blow to Sylvia after it was alleged that Herbert, 20, currently serving life for Sophie’s murder, has been accessing Facebook from prison.
Because the Encyclopedia Dramatica website is registered abroad the Government has no power to remove it.
But after learning of the site, Darwen and Rossendale MP Jake Berry said he would lobby the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt to extend powers to tackle hate websites.
Sylvia said: “It is absolutely disgusting. It’s a horrible, horrible website that is deeply offensive.
“We’ve tried not to say anything about it, but occasionally people come across it and it brings everything back up every time.
“We’ve tried to have internet experts get it closed down, but haven’t had any success.
“The people behind this phenomenon of ‘trolling’ - where people deliberately post offensive material on the internet to get a reaction - have caused great upset.
“Now it has come out because of what happened with Ryan Herbert’s Facebook page.
“I’ll never understand what goes through some people’s minds. They will latch on to anything which causes maximum upset. Do they think it is funny, hiding behind their screens?
“There are pictures on there of Sophie with really offensive captions underneath. It is so unnecessary and hurtful.”
The website, in the style of Wikipedia - but not connected to the site - re-tells the story of Sophie’s murder in an attack which almost claimed the life of her boyfriend Robert Maltby.
They were targeted because of their alternative dress sense.
But in a sickening twist, the author said: “Reports say the attack was unprovoked but as with all 'alternative' weirdos, they were obviously asking for it. Nobody cared.
“After the attack she was taken to hospital, where natural selection ended what the chavs had started.
“The heroes who performed this social service were tried and convicted of murder.
“They are currently appealing on the grounds that in reality they did the world a favour, and should be knighted rather than locked up.”
It uses phrases such as ‘duly and fairly curb-stomped’ and ‘quickly dispatched’ to describe the horrific murder.
Record show the website is registered to a Netherlands address, but the domain name is Swiss and it is hosted by a San Francisco-based server. However it claims to be hosted in Ukraine which it says doesn’t recognise copywright, defamation or libel.
Jake Berry said: “I absolutely abhor this sort of website. Sophie’s murder was one of the most tragic and awful crimes to happen to East Lancashire in living memory.
“It is vital that this sort of disgraceful incitement is taken down immediately and I am calling for it to be removed.
“This phenomenon of internet trolling is something the Government should look at and I will be speaking to the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt to see what powers the Government has already to deal with this website.
“If they are inadequate I will be pressing to extend their powers to this sort of hate crime.
A police spokesman said: “We have been made aware of the website and we will be looking into it.”
Sylvia said she was speaking out following the revelation that a Facebook site had allegedly been used by one of her daughter’s killers while he is in prison.
The account is under the name of ‘Ryan Smith’ but has a picture of Herbert, his correct date of birth and says he’s from Bacup. It has now been closed by the social networking site.
Sylvia said: “Once I found out I spoke to Lancashire Police who set the wheels in motion. From what I understand, the Ministry of Justice are now investigating.
“It is an insult to us and to Sophie’s memory.”
Having a Facebook account while in prison is not a breach of the site’s terms and conditions, but allowing others to access it or using it to intimidate witnesses is.
A Prison Service spokesperson said an investigation was on going.
He said: “Prisoners have no access to the internet and are barred from updating their Facebook accounts while serving their sentence, or asking others to do so from outside prison. If they do, their accounts will be terminated.
“If a prisoner is found in illicit possession of a mobile phone or other contraband they will be dealt with appropriately by the prison.”
Comments (36)
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11:59am Sat 15 Oct 11
HarwoodBiker says...
The content on there is intended in a satirical sense. There is content on there about 9/11 and World War II, and some of that is quite amusing. It is satire, plain and simple, and none of it is meant in a true sense.
Now, I believe you do indeed have a point that a page about the murder of one person is most definitely not funny at all, and it probably should be taken down - however, you must also remember that being a wiki-type site the content on there is *user generated*. You should not brand an entire website "vile" because of what one person posted.
Perhaps you should try contacting ED and asking them nicely to remove that one page, rather than going in all guns blazing and trying to get the whole thing blocked.
I am a proponent of freedom of speech on the internet and I believe that we shouldn't block websites, no matter how nasty - after all, decent people won't bother reading them anyway!
As I said, of course this isn't in the least bit amusing to you, nor any decent person, but I do think you may have taken the site out of context somewhat. And it is important to realise that users posts these articles.
Anyone remember Chris Morris's "Brass Eye" and its mocking of... well... pretty much everything? That was satire too...
1:29pm Sat 15 Oct 11
Parly says...
.
I get “Brass Eye” - I’m a devout fan of Sickipedia etc and the things I find below the belt and offensive are few and far between.
.
This particular page was written with the sole intention of causing offence and distress. That’s not satire.
1:31pm Sat 15 Oct 11
mavrick says...
1:34pm Sat 15 Oct 11
Bat E Karen says...
I chose not to go on the site to see what they are saying so I would rather not have seen some of its content in the above story.
1:51pm Sat 15 Oct 11
HarwoodBiker says...
2:40pm Sat 15 Oct 11
superquintendo says...
ENCYCLOPAEDIA DRAMATICA IS RUN BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT 4CHAN, A.K.A. THE A$$HOLE OF THE INTERNET. IF THEY HAVEN'T OFFENDED YOU IN SOME WAY, THEY AREN'T DOING THEIR JOB CORRECTLY. THEY ARE INTERNET TROLLS, THEIR OPINION IS INVALID AND NOBODY SHOULD TAKE IT TO HEART. to be honest, if you do contact them asking to 'take it down' they'll probably just post more hateful fuel. just don't take it seriously. use 'random page' to generate more ʇıɥs-talk about otherwise innocent people.
YOURS SINCERELY,
INTERNET USER
5:15pm Sat 15 Oct 11
jack daniels says...
These sad individuals will be gloating for weeks, yet secretly, they’ll be wondering whether anybody would actually notice or care if somebody had killed them instead.
10:13pm Sat 15 Oct 11
Shineoff says...
Some things on the site are funny, some are just sick, its worth noting (I've read ED for years) that the Madeliene Mccann page was removed due to legal action, though it featured pretty slanderous allegations.
In short there are sites like this that mock other peoples pain, they will always be there, if it was taken down they would just set it up in another country, the best action is, if it offends you, don't go there.
By being on the front page of the telegraph you have actually given them what they would call an "epic win"
I remember reading the page in question a long time ago, and thought it really overstepped the mark, it is true its one thing to mock an institution or a group of people but to laugh about a murder victim is just plain wrong.
Dont give them the satisfaction....
11:13am Sun 16 Oct 11
AlexD90 says...
12:38pm Sun 16 Oct 11
barbour x says...
1:42pm Sun 16 Oct 11
James-Bacup says...
1:45pm Sun 16 Oct 11
James-Bacup says...
4:33pm Sun 16 Oct 11
gudari says...
10:37pm Sun 16 Oct 11
nice person says...
9:17am Mon 17 Oct 11
HarwoodBiker says...
You, sir are the idiot - if you'd actually read what I wrote, you'd see that I am by no means in support of this being on there - it's not funny at all, just downright nasty. My point is merely that the Telegraph should not refer to ED as "Vile" because of one nasty page submitted by a user, and neither should Sylvia be trying to get the entire website "blocked".
Hell, if certain pieces of user-submitted content makes a website "vile", I'd think the Telegraph would be a strong contender - some of the commenters here spout some horrible, racist crap.
My belief is simply that if you don't like it, you don't have to read it, and anyone with half a brain won't read it anyway, so really it makes no difference whether it's there or not. Censoring the internet is not the answer.
1:50pm Mon 17 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
Encyclopedia Dramatica is just a collection of things people think, but don't say IRL. Not a single person here whining about the site can deny that they have ever said or thought something like what this article is presenting.
Get over it; it's just words on a screen.
8:52pm Mon 17 Oct 11
rustyray says...
9:20pm Mon 17 Oct 11
rustyray says...
11:50pm Mon 17 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
http://encyclopediad
ramatica.ch/Rusty_Ra
y
I should put it on the main page again. ^______^
2:41am Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
http://i56.tinypic.c
om/2j6wd5.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.c
om/2wc1yc3.jpg
Good work, Sam :)
p.s. It's "U mad bro?"
2:42am Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
http://i56.tinypic.c
om/2j6wd5.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.c
om/2wc1yc3.jpg
Good work, Sam :)
p.s. It's "U mad bro?"
4:18am Tue 18 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
oh lol
4:49am Tue 18 Oct 11
Snacks says...
5:43am Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
om/1z2mv7q.jpg
Now Derek, care to share with the good readers of The Bolton News why the police contacted you a few months ago? Or is that just "words on a screen?" There should be a police report of such a call, right?
And what is your "official" role at Encyclopedia Dramatica, so the victims know who to prosecute?
5:43am Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
om/1z2mv7q.jpg
Now Derek, care to share with the good readers of The Bolton News why the police contacted you a few months ago? Or is that just "words on a screen?" There should be a police report of such a call, right?
And what is your "official" role at Encyclopedia Dramatica, so the victims know who to prosecute?
6:51am Tue 18 Oct 11
Legato says...
Derek does have a point though: They ARE just words on a screen. Did anyone care to notice the delicate postings that were made by one Sam Leeson? He trolls the page, and people instantly call for his death.
On the page of a girl who's just been battered to death. Is the hypocrisy lost on anyone here?
Make the call: Are you saying it's justified to call for the death of someone "being mean", or are they, too, just words on a screen?
12:53pm Tue 18 Oct 11
ChetParsons says...
ramatica.ch/Madelein
e_McCann
I agree that this article's existence is pathetic and also hilarious.
12:58pm Tue 18 Oct 11
ChetParsons says...
1:32pm Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
2:05pm Tue 18 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
Also, everyone make sure to read the "Rusty Ray" page that seems to make him so mad. Rather than being an abusive article like the Sophie Lancaster one, it documents a very abusive (and most likely insane) person.
2:23pm Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
Who was my victim? The guy in Florida who was facing felony charges for harassing me and my family for almost 9 months? The guy who has a criminal record and was himself abused by his troll "friends" to make me his target and stalk me on the Internet?
You should do a little more fact-checking before you rely on content published on Encyclopedia Dramatica to make your allegations.
I can put you in touch with the investigating officer to explain it to you, if you like. I tried to give you that courtesy a while back but you decided to hide behind your so-called anonymity and freedom of speech.
It's ironic you use free speech when it benefits you, but when other people turn the tables on you, you resort to threats and bullying. "Imma gonna put you on the front page!" Do it, please. It will spare this grieving family a break from your spotlight.
4:33pm Tue 18 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
And please don't say you tried to contact "me" when you attempted to contact Ryan and then Zaiger.
I'd be happy to talk to you about it (not that the article is going down, but the divorce and other sections may be removed of your not a dick about it) and then maybe Garrett would actually remove some of the "stalker" information.
4:36pm Tue 18 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
5:08pm Tue 18 Oct 11
rustyray says...
6:26pm Tue 18 Oct 11
Derek M. Sheep says...
4:57am Wed 19 Oct 11
ChetParsons says...