The head of Scotland Yard has called for police to be able to quickly access material from social media companies after the suspect in the murder of 13-year-old Lucy McHugh was jailed for withholding his Facebook password.
The Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, was speaking after Stephen Nicholson pleaded guilty last week to a charge under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.
Asked if Hampshire police should have been denied the data they had requested, Dick said it was not the first time a police service had approached a social media firm looking for evidence “and had to go through either a very protracted procedure, or has found that it’s impossible to do so”. She said, during an interview on LBC Radio: “I absolutely think that in certain instances – and it sounds like this is one – law enforcement in the UK ought to have vital evidence which might bring someone to justice. There are complex and practical things for them, and legal things, which I do respect. It’s not as straightforward as it sounds, but I think that’s where we should be.”
Nicholson twice refused to give detectives his Facebook password while being questioned on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child. Police were facing difficulties in trying to obtain the messages from Facebook, Southampton crown court was told by prosecutors.
Nicholson was first arrested by Hampshire police on suspicion of murder and sexual activity with a child and remains on bail for those allegations. A charging decision is expected on October 27.
Earlier McHugh’s mother condemned Facebook over its failure to hand over the prime suspect’s password.
Stacey White accused the social media giant of denying her justice after police were forced to apply to American judges for a court order demanding that it hand over the information.
Because Facebook is based in America, officers from Hampshire Police have been forced to apply to the US justice department for the password – a process that could take months.
White, 30, told the Mail: ‘In situations like this, Facebook really should just release the information that is needed and I think that is the opinion that everybody has. ‘They should give over the account details. Lucy needs justice. It’s so easy for them to do.”
MPs also voiced outrage, saying the delays in getting crucial information were “deeply disturbing”. White also criticised the social media company for turning her daughter’s private Facebook account into a public memorial page. ‘It’s public so people can write whatever they like on there,’ she said. “They could at least have the decency to stop it from being public – I’ve messaged them about it and they still haven’t changed it back.”
This is the first time that White has spoken publicly about her concerns over Facebook.
Senior MPs called for Facebook to do the ‘right thing’ to help police solve this ‘shocking case’.
Yvette Cooper, chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: “This was an appalling murder, and McHugh’s family need justice. For there to be such long delays and cumbersome international processes for getting crucial information in such a serious case is deeply disturbing.
“It shouldn’t be beyond Facebook and the US and UK governments to come up with fast legal procedure for the police to get answers when it comes to investigating a child’s murder.”