Madeleine McCann's Father Calls for Stricter Media Regulation Following Recollections of Media "Hounding".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has urged for more robust scrutiny of the UK media, describing how being "monstered" by the press made him feel as if he was being "drowning under the pressure".

A Family Tormented by Press "Abuses"

Gerry McCann stated that his family was tormented by press "excesses" and that the media had "repeatedly interfered with" the search for answers regarding his daughter's disappearance in 2007.

He stated that the intrusion took a "heavy burden" on his family. "We faced ongoing coverage and misleading headlines for 15 months or more that led us to take legal action to stop it," he reportedly said.

"We were fortunate. We survived. We had strong support. But I can promise you, there were times where I felt like I was drowning, and it was the media, mainly, not the situation we were in," he stated.

An Appeal for Restart Leveson Inquiry

The McCanns are among more than 30 people who have endorsed a letter calling on the government to revive the second part of the Leveson inquiry, which was set up to look into the relationship between the media and the police.

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

Recounting the Intrusion

Detailing the events, he said: "Reporters arriving at our home, cameras being shoved their cameras against our car window, when we had our toddler twins in the back who were terrified, and how upsetting that is for you as a parent."

"It's the misleading narratives. It's the making up of stories to suit a narrative, rather than reality, which causes immense harm," he stated.

The Need for Tougher Oversight and Accountability

He stated these actions demonstrated 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 front-page headlines about ourselves and alleged events," he told.

"That almost pulls you under, and you can see how people succumb to it and think they can't get out of it. The harm is profound, and we need that protection. There must be accountability. And at the minute, for most of the large media outlets, there is little accountability," he concluded.

Government Position and Changing Media Landscape

The Culture Secretary commented that a second phase of the inquiry had been rejected and that the media landscape was now very different.

"We share the view that the context has evolved dramatically from the time the second part of Leveson was recommended: the public is now more likely to get their news from the internet, which has created new and different challenges," they stated.

They added that balancing the rights of victims with the need for a free press was a "challenging task to get right," but acknowledged that "reform is required in this area".

An Enduring Hope for Answers

Madeleine McCann disappeared from a family vacation apartment in 2007 when she was three years old. Gerry McCann said that it was "profoundly disappointing" how the press had repeatedly interfered with the investigation.

"Leaked information which ought to have remained private... This meant a potential culprit, you knew far more than you should have done," he explained.

Regarding the ongoing search, he said the possibility he would find his daughter was "small but still alive". "Our wish is to find her alive, but we need to discover the truth and see justice served, and others are at risk while whoever is responsible is free," he stated.