Lawyer for missing N.S. toddler's family hopes cyberbullying law can stop online vitriol against boy's parents
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent...nline-vitriol-against-boy-s-parents-1.5799322
Cyberbullying law: online activity that causes or is likely to cause harm to another individual, either through malice or recklessness.
The parents of a Nova Scotia toddler who went missing have spent the last six months coping with thousands of people on social media accusing them of being responsible for their child's disappearance.
"There's no words for the feelings I get sometimes. You know, on top of trying to find my son and everything else, to deal with that, too? Shame on them."
Jason Ehler and Ashley Brown turned to the Truro community and social media to gather as many clues as possible about Dylan's disappearance and simply keep their son's image in the public consciousness.
But people on social media began to turn their attention to herself and Ehler
Some accused them of negligence leading to Dylan's disappearance. Others accused them of orchestrating his disappearance, or even killing their own son.
"People were taking pictures of our backyard and following us, and making up more rumours," he said.
Lawyer Allison Harris is now representing Ehler and Brown pro bono. She wants to see if a new Nova Scotia law can help end the sustained campaign of online hate..
"In speaking with Ashley and Jason and learning about how it's impacting them, and just understanding the gravity of it, how widespread it is, it was eye-opening for me"
"We're appealing to people's sense of human decency and hoping that they appreciate the harm that they are causing. And once they recognize that, hoping that they will stop," she said.