The Guardian reported that police are letting the family members of London’s July 7, 2005 bombing victims know their phones may have been hacked.
Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire allegedly hacked the photos of family members “in the days” after the terrorist attack for News of the World. For example, Mulcaire had records for the father of one victim, David Foulkes. Mulcaire had cell and home phone numbers and address for Foulkes’ father Graham Foulkes.
The BBC reported that Graham Foulkes commented that during the time following the bombing, “My wife and I were kind of all over the place, we were chatting to friends on the phone, in a very personal and deeply emotional context – and the thought that somebody may have been listening to that just looking for a cheap headline is just horrendous.”
Foulkes called on News of the World’s parent company News International, which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, to “come clean…accept their responsibility and their culpability.”
According to The Guardian, given the recent revelation that Mulcaire hacked into the phone of murdered teen girl Milly Dowler, police reportedly are looking into each “high-profile” murder, kidnapping and attack on a child in the past ten years to see if News of the World OK’ed any hacking.
According to The Guardian, Mulcaire has apologized for his hacking. Mulcaire, who noted that he has already “been to court” and “pleaded guilty,” added that he may “face the possibility of further criminal prosecution.”
“Working for the News of the World was never easy,” said Mulcaire. “There was relentless pressure. There was a constant demand for results. I knew what we did pushed the limits ethically. But, at the time, I didn’t understand that I had broken the law at all.”
News International issued a statement that noted the company is cooperating with the police but said very little else.
“As a result of media enquiries, it is correct to state that new information has recently been provided to the police. As News International and News Group Newspapers has reiterated many times, full and continuing cooperation has been provided to the police since the current investigation started in January 2011. Well understood arrangements are in place to ensure that any material of importance to which they are entitled is provided to them. We cannot comment any further due to the ongoing investigations.”
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has supported an “inquiry” into the hacking, The Daily Mirror reported. He commented that “We are no longer talking here about politicians and celebrities, we are talking about murder victims, potentially terrorist victims, having their phones hacked into.” Cameron called the hacking “absolutely disgusting.”
The Guardian has compiled a list of the alleged victims of News of the World. The victims include entertainers/celebrities, politicians, a “wrongly accused” man, athletes, family members of crime victims, and royalty, among others. See here.
POLICE
News of the World’s parent company, News International reportedly turned over records to the police indicating that the newspaper paid “senior police officers between 2003 and 2007, the period when Andy Coulson was the paper’s editor.”
Coulson stepped down as David Cameron’s communications director this year amidst the revelations of phone hacking at News of the World, as StinkyJournalism has previously reported. Coulson was an editor at News of the World previously but resigned in 2007 when former News of the World reporter Clive Goodman was convicted for phone hacking.
The PCC
UK press regulatory body the Press Complaints Commission issued a statement following this week’s Milly Dowler revelation, in which the media regulatory body seemed to defend itself from criticism for a lack of action in the phone hacking scandal.
“It is also wrong to judge self-regulation in 2011 based on the legitimate condemnation of practices that took place some time ago,” the PCC stated.
As the PCC has previously stated, the group explained it is awaiting the police investigation’s ending before getting involved.
The Guardian reported that the PCC’s chairman, Baroness Buscombe, claimed News of the World “lied” to her about the phone hacking. Buscombe and the PCC were also criticized by journalist Andrew Neil for not revealing or outing the hacking.
Advertisements Pulled, Apology to Come?
The Telegraph reported that several advertisers have either pulled their forthcoming ads or plans to advertise in the near future in News of the World given the recent revelation of hacking. Some of those advertisers reportedly include Halifax Bank, Virgin Holidays, Renault, Vauxhall, Mitsubishi and the Co-Operative Group.
BBC reported “The News of the World is considering putting a front page apology on Sunday’s paper.”