TD makes complaint to gardaí over ‘online threats and abuse’

A FIANNA Fáil TD has made a complaint to gardaí after he said he was subjected to ‘abuse and threats’ on social media.

Eugene Murphy, who represents the Roscommon-Galway constituency, says he has been subjected to abuse after a number of incidents in his local area in recent weeks.

The rural politician said he believes appointing a Digital Safety Commissioner is ‘imperative’ to tackling the issue of ‘cyberbullying and trolling’ and that it would make social media platforms more accountable.

One message posted about him in a comment – on a page since deleted – encourages people to ‘boycott’ the TD, to ‘turn your back on him in public, roar at his wife, blackball his children’.

This same message points out these are ‘legal’ actions, but it also appears to carry a thinly veiled suggestion that there should be damage carried out to his cars using brake fluid.

It stated: ‘I’m NOT suggesting that U fill a balloon full of brake fluid... so it bursts on impact, leaving the prsons car like a melted candle... NOT suggesting that at all... and if U DON’T do it at night, or at 5pm, it’ll have over 12 hours to melt the paint...’

It is understood that the TD reported this material to Facebook and that it was subsequently removed by the platform.

However, the Irish Daily Mail found yesterday that some of this content had reappeared or had been uploaded again on other pages in recent weeks, including a screenshot of the message relating to his wife and children.

Separate online messages referred to spreading ‘slurry’ on Mr Murphy’s house. The TD said the situation began when a constituent left abusive messages on the voicemail of his Strokestown office in relation to a number of national issues.

‘I telephoned this man back to engage with him as I always do with people no matter what their view point. However, it subsequently emerged that this person recorded my telephone conversation without my consent,’ he said.

‘Following this, the recording appeared on another Facebook page and threats were made [by another individual] through a post. Threats were made to me and my family. I think it is totally outrageous and unacceptable and it particularly angers me when the fallout upsets my children.

‘This of course opens up a wider debate about cyberbullying and trolling, and the appointment of a Digital Safety Officer is imperative to tackle this issue and make social media giants more accountable.’

A spokeswoman for Facebook told the Mail that ‘if debate or commentary tips into bullying, hate speech or credible threats of violence, we will take action on those individuals’.

‘Blackball his children’