Madeleine McCann's Father Urges Stricter Press Regulation Amid Recollections of Press "Hounding".

Gerry McCann, father to Madeleine McCann has issued a call for increased oversight for the UK media, describing how sustained media attention made him feel as if he was being "drowning under the pressure".

A Family Subjected to Press "Abuses"

Gerry McCann stated that his family was tormented by press "intrusions" and that the media had "consistently hampered" the investigation into his daughter's 2007 disappearance.

He stated that the intrusion took a "huge toll" on his family. "We had ongoing coverage and sensationalized stories for 15 months or more that led us to take legal action to stop it," he commented.

"We were fortunate. We got through it. We had tremendous support. However, I assure you, there were times where I felt like I was drowning, and it was the media, mostly, not the situation we were in," he stated.

An Appeal for Restart Leveson Inquiry

McCann and his wife, Kate, are among dozens of individuals who have signed a letter asking the government to revive the second phase of the Leveson investigation, which was set up to look into the links between the media and the police.

McCann said it was not acceptable that over a year later, press regulation was "off the agenda". He described how his family had been subjected to "monstering" by sections of the media and that the press was "stationed" outside his home for months after the disappearance.

Describing the Harassment

Describing the intrusion, he said: "Journalists coming to the house, photographers pushing their cameras against our car window, when we had two-year-old twins in the back who were terrified, and how traumatic that is for you as a parent."

"It's the inaccuracies. It's the making up of stories to fit the agenda, rather than the facts, which destroys people's lives," he added.

A Demand for Stronger Oversight and Accountability

He argued this behavior highlighted why there needed to be stricter press regulation. "In the evenings, we'd put on the news, and there'd be front-page headlines about ourselves and unverified claims," he described.

"That can drag you down, and you can see how people give in to it and think they can't get out of it. The impact is devastating, and we need that protection. People deserve recourse. And at the minute, for most of these mainstream media, there is little accountability," he asserted.

Official Position and Evolving News Environment

A government minister said that a second phase of the inquiry had been rejected and that the media landscape was now very different.

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

It was also noted that weighing the rights of victims with the principle of press freedom was a "challenging task to get right," but conceded that "action is needed in this area".

An Enduring Search for Closure

Madeleine McCann disappeared from a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007 when she was three years old. It was stated that it was "absolutely dismaying" how the press had frequently obstructed with the investigation.

"Leaked information which ought to have remained private... This meant a potential culprit, you knew a lot more than you should have done," he said.

Regarding the ongoing search, he said the possibility he would find his daughter was "faint yet persistent". "I'd love to find her alive, but we need to find out what happened and see justice served, and other children are at risk while whoever is responsible is free," he concluded.