There’s a story in the Grauniad that the Dowlers are considering a £2 million settlement with News International over phone hacking allegations.

Anyone else find it slightly queasy?

Apart from anything else, shouldn’t News International be up for criminal prosecution given that that particular bit of hacking may have interfered with the course of the investigation?

So if the Dowlers take the money does that get News International off the hook re’ any criminal investigation?

Also, the amounts of money being bandied about to buy off celebs who’ve got plenty is also starting to make me cringe more than the original hacking allegations.

Will £2mill bring their daughter back? Personally you could give me £10mill but I’d still rather have my child alive.

30 pieces of silver, not worth much really…

dont judge them i reckon.
been through enough, if 2 million makes the future a bit easier for them fair enough.
the hackers just hacked the phone remember.

Will £2mill bring their daughter back?

It’s extremely unlikely that they expect it to.

Will £2mill bring their daughter back?

just as much as nothing would so they may as well take it

So if the Dowlers take the money does that get News International off the hook re’ any criminal investigation?

Nope

If it’s true I hope the m

So if the Dowlers take the money does that get News International off the hook re’ any criminal investigation?

Nope

If it’s true I hope the money helps them, they deserve some peace.

I suspect the McCanns will be chasing that million pound bandwagon down the road pretty sharpish 😐

Report I heard suggested a significant donation to charity as well as significant damages, 7 figure sums in both cases. Don’t see any reason not to take it and I would trust them to do more good with it than News INternational seem to be able to do.

bigyinn – Member

Will £2mill bring their daughter back?

You’re right- and since no compensation or apology will do that, then presumably they should refuse any compensation and apology? Or not.

I can’t imagine that losing a child in horrible circumstances doesn’t negate a desire to lead a life as free from financial insecurity as possible. Should the Dowlers have no access to more choice and nicer options whether a car or a house, or should they just make do? It’s hardly them trading their daughter’s life for money.

l wonder how much News International made from the Dowler’s unimaginable grief

why should any one care if they have to pay out?

I was surprised the reports mentioned a substantial charitable donation on top, as well as the settlement to the family.

If they’d been offered £2 million and were then donating that to charity, more power to their elbow, but having the £2 mill for themselves (if true) just had the words “cashing in” springing to my mind.

Nothing will bring back their daughter, I can only imagine how awful it was for them (a relative was on the police investigation team so we have some idea of how dreadful it all must have been) but I think accepting – and keeping – such a huge sum undermines their dignity in my eyes.

I am probab;y wrong on this though. It would be a tough call if I was in their shoes I guess.

such a huge sum undermines their dignity in my eyes

And who the **** are you?

Someone who can express an opinion without triggering the swear filter.

And you are?

I don’t think any of us could possibly comprehend what they have been through and continue to wake up to every day so I don’t think we can really say whether it is right or wring, whether they should take the money or not.

And you are?

Nobody important.

Unfortunately, in law compensation is normally seen as a finacial transaction. I have no right to speak for the Dowlers, but generally in my experience most people I know of who have suffered from a criminal act would prefer an explanation and a genuine apology. That however, is avoided like the plague, as it is an admission of guilt which may lead to further repercussions. So what you get instead is a mealy mouthed contract style agreement that is full of get outs and refusal to acknowledge liability, and a cash payout which will generally be termed as an act of goodwill.

Don’t blame the Dowlers for a legal system thats outlawed ducking stools and stocks and replaced them with a cheque book. 99.9% certain I know which style of justice they would opt for if there were a choice, and it wouldn’t be dosh.

I think news international are doing everything in their power, as they have done all along, to make sure nothing goes to court. They’re prepared to pay out limitless cash so that none of the big cheeses have to give evidence under oath.

Then there will be no more vague or plain dishonest answers without opening themselves up to being potentially jailed for perjury. As well as having to admit to the truth about what was really going on!

the hackers just hacked the phone remember

not really – Mulcaire actually deleted messages, which resulted in not only the police investigation being impeded but that the Dowler parents thought that Milly was still alive when that wasn’t the case – truly disgusting behaviour

and I would hope that the payment is the offered settlement before court for distress (which I agree is in no way commensurate to the loss of life as it’s just not quantifiable, but it’s an offer that NI would make rather than have the court decide) and not a bearing on the PCS investigation of the obstruction of justice etc

I cannot see how there is any justification for negativity towards the Dowlers, let them have the dosh, I hope that a life of financial security will dull the pain of losing a daughter.

What’s the problem here? This is to settle a civil claim – how would spending another x months/years litigating this and getting crapped on my NI’s lawyers before arriving at much the same result, less lawyer’s fees, help anyone?

So if the Dowlers take the money does that get News International off the hook re’ any criminal investigation?

No, not at all.

Will £2mill bring their daughter back?

NoTW didn’t kill their daughter.

Don’t see any reason not to take it and I would trust them to do more good with it than News INternational seem to be able to do.

Exactly – just about everyone in the world would be a better person to have NI’s money purely by virtue of not being NI.