Madeleine McCann's Parent Demands Tougher Media Regulation Following Accounts of Press "Hounding".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has urged for greater scrutiny of the UK media, recounting how being "monstered" by the press made him feel as if he was being "suffocated and buried".

A Family Tormented by Press "Abuses"

Gerry McCann stated that his family was subjected to press "excesses" and that the media had "frequently disrupted" the search for answers regarding his daughter's going missing in 2007.

He noted that the intrusion took a "heavy burden" on his family. "We endured ongoing coverage and sensationalized stories for 15 months or more that forced us to take legal action to stop it," he reportedly said.

"We are lucky. We got through it. We had incredible backing. Yet, I must tell you, there were times where I felt like I was being suffocated, and it was the media, primarily, not the situation we were in," he reflected.

An Appeal for Restart Leveson Inquiry

McCann and his wife, Kate, are among dozens of individuals who have endorsed a letter asking ministers to revive the second part of the Leveson inquiry, which was intended to examine the links between the media and the police.

McCann said it was unacceptable that more than a year on, press regulation was "not being prioritized". He said that his family had been endured "monstering" by sections of the media and that the press was "camped" outside his home for an extended period after the disappearance.

Describing the Intrusion

Detailing the events, he said: "Journalists coming to the house, photographers literally ramming their cameras against our car window, when we had our toddler twins in the back who were scared, and how traumatic that is for you as a parent."

"It's the inaccuracies. It's the fabrication of stories to drive a headline, rather than the facts, which causes immense harm," he emphasized.

The Need for Stronger Oversight and Redress

He argued this behavior demonstrated why there needed to be tougher press regulation. "We'd be getting ready for bed, we'd put on the news, and there'd be splash stories about ourselves and unverified claims," he described.

"That almost pulls you under, and you can see how people succumb to it and think they can't get out of it. It's so damaging, and we need that protection. There has to be redress. And at the minute, for most of the major publishers, there is little accountability," he concluded.

Government Response and Changing Media Landscape

A government minister stated that a follow-up part of the inquiry had been ruled out and that the news environment was now profoundly changed.

"We agree that the landscape has transformed dramatically since the Leveson's second phase was proposed: people now are more likely to get their news from diverse digital platforms, which has presented new and different challenges," they explained.

The minister further stated that balancing the rights of victims with the need for a free press was a "complex balance to get right," but acknowledged that "action is needed in this area".

A Continued Hope for Closure

The child went missing from a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007 as a three-year-old. It was stated that it was "profoundly disappointing" how the press had repeatedly interfered with the investigation.

"Leaked information which should have been confidential... Consequently, anyone involved, you knew a lot more than you should have done," he said.

On the prospect of finding Madeleine, he said the chance he would find his daughter was "faint yet persistent". "I'd love to find her alive, but we need to discover the truth and bring whoever's responsible, and others are at risk while whoever is responsible is free," he affirmed.