The McCann family Parent Demands Stronger Press Regulation Following Accounts of Media "Tormenting".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has demanded more robust scrutiny of the UK media, recounting how being "monstered" by the press made him feel that he was being "overwhelmed".

The McCanns Tormented by Press "Abuses"

According to Gerry McCann, his family was deeply affected by press "intrusions" and that the media had "consistently hampered" the investigation into his daughter's going missing in 2007.

He stated that the intrusion took a "heavy burden" on his family. "We endured sustained interest and misleading headlines for 15 months or more that compelled us to take legal action to stop it," he explained.

"We were fortunate. We got through it. We received incredible backing. Yet, I must tell you, there were times where I felt like I was overwhelmed, and it was the media, primarily, not the situation we were in," he stated.

A Call to Restart Leveson Inquiry

The McCanns are among dozens of individuals who have endorsed a letter urging the government to restart the second part of the Leveson investigation, which was set up to look into the links between the media and the police.

McCann said it was not acceptable that more than a year on, press regulation was "off the agenda". He described how his family had been victims of "monstering" by parts of the media and that the press was "camped" outside his home for an extended period after the disappearance.

Recounting the Harassment

Detailing the events, he said: "Reporters arriving at our home, photographers pushing their cameras against our car window, when we had two-year-old twins in the back who were scared, and how distressing that is for you as a parent."

"It's the misleading narratives. It's the making up of stories to drive a headline, rather than reality, which destroys people's lives," he added.

The Need for Tougher Regulation and Accountability

He said the conduct highlighted why there needed to be tougher press regulation. "At night, as we prepared for bed, we'd put on the news, and there'd be major reports about ourselves and unverified claims," he told.

"That can drag you down, and you can see how people give in to it and think they can't get out of it. The impact is devastating, and we need that protection. There must be accountability. And at the minute, for most of the large media outlets, there is no effective recourse," he concluded.

Official Position and Changing Media Landscape

A government minister said that a follow-up part of the inquiry had been rejected and that the news environment was now very different.

"Our position aligns that the context has evolved profoundly from the time the second part of Leveson was proposed: people now are more likely to get their news online from a whole variety of sources, which has created new and different challenges," they explained.

The minister further stated that weighing the needs of those affected with the principle of press freedom was a "complex balance to get right," but acknowledged that "steps must be taken in this area".

An Enduring Hope for Answers

The child went missing from a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007 at the age of three. It was stated that it was "deeply disturbing" how the press had consistently meddled with the investigation.

"Leaked information which was meant for police only... So if you were the perpetrator, you knew far more than you should have done," he said.

On the prospect of finding Madeleine, he said the possibility he would find his daughter was "faint yet persistent". "I'd love to find her alive, but we need to establish the facts and hold the perpetrator, and people are at risk while whoever is responsible is free," he concluded.