Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2004/08/12/bullies_police_charity/

Charity forces closure of 'bully' website

Police investigate forum abuse

By Tim Richardson

Posted in Legal, 12th August 2004 12:48 GMT

An Internet message board has been pulled amid allegations it was used by bullies to harass and victimise school children.

The site - which claims to be the "largest online teen community" in North London and Hertfordshire - also contained death threats and racist comments, according to anti-bullying charity, Bullying Online.

Anti-bullying campaigners were alerted to Mouth2Mouth.tk in May after receiving complaints from children and parents victimised by bullies. Last weekend, charity boss Liz Carnell spent most of the weekend in the chatrooms challenging the bullies in an attempt to end the cycle of abuse and intimidation. After standing firm, those behind the site pulled the forum on Sunday.

Liz told us: "The forum was shut down after I sat in it for much of last weekend explaining that the abuse might tip someone over the edge into suicide and that the remarks were cowardly as none of the posters gave their names. Quite a number of those posting expressed the wish to have the forum closed and I'm pleased that Bullying Online was able to do that on their behalf."

No one from Mouth2Mouth was available for comment at the time of writing. However, in a statement on the site it said: "I regret to inform you that the Mouth2Mouth message board is officially closed pending further notice.

"Before rumours start, this is not due to any Police or Charity involvement but due to the excessive amount of 'bitchin' slander and abuse found on the message board. The M2M Team no longer wishes to be involved and moderate such a forum and us as the owners have decided to take immediate action before it gets out of hand."

Details of the alleged abuse have been passed on to Hertfordshire Police. A police spokeswoman told The Register that the matter was under investigation. ®

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