Did publishing unnecassary details violate victim’s privacy?

To the Editor,

I wish to comment on a recent article published in the Washington Post, regarding the tragic case of missing (at time of publication) VCU student Taylor Behl. Let me begin by saying I am deeply saddenned by the loss of a fellow student, and am grateful for the efforts made on her behalf by the VCU and Richmond police. However, I feel that the police contributed in part to the sensationalism created from the tragedy by disclosing uneccessary information to the press.
The Richmond police knew Taylor was active online, as many teens are, and thus searched the internet for any clues of her whereabouts or possible leads on suspects who may have abducted her. The finding that was one of their biggest resources was Taylor’s MySpace account.
For those who don’t know, MySpace is a popular, relatively new website, and most of the participants are from the ages of 12 to 20. The website allows members to create “profiles” and allows them to post pictures, video clips, sound bites, and journal entries on their page. Non users are able to see the main page of each member’s profile, but access to pictures and blogs that a user posts is restricted only to members. Membership is free and noncommittal, and also eerily anonymous.
In the site’s short history there have already been many cases of internet stalking and harassment. The inappropriate messages from “creepy old men” and even disturbed peers are viewed as an unwelcome, but unavoidable part of the deal, and the threat posed is unfortunately disregarded by most teens.
The Richmond police felt that one of these “creepy old men”, 38-year-old photographer Ben Fawley (who remains the most obvious suspect), may have taken advantage of this jaded yet all too unwary attitude. By reading Behl’s blogs, police found out and made public that Taylor had indeed been involved in an inappropriate relationship with this man. They also revealed many personal (and case-irrelevant) statements from Behl’s online journal, things that would make most teen girls cringe if they thought even their parents had read. Although the internet provided valuable clues in the case, I think relaying every dramatic detail of her life was exploitative. Although Taylor posted these feelings and events in her life on a page that could potentially be viewed by anyone, I’m sure she never in a million years thought the whole country would be hanging on her every angst-y word.
I say this all from an empathetic viewpoint, know I for one went through a “MySpace phase”; I even met one of my ex-boyfriends because of the site. Even though my profile was fairly impersonal compared to Taylor’s, I know I definitely would not expect my parents, let alone the nation, to read it, and I would have been extremely uncomfortable if they had. I’m sure some of these postings led many people to question the type of girl she was, and wonder if she was at least partially responsible for whatever caused her disappearance.
I think its terribly unfair to expose what a teenager typed thoughtlessly, when she obviously meant to express her feelings in what she thought was a safe way to vent. I think the police should have been much less public with details from a forum that most adults don’t even realize exists, and not fueled potential questioning of her character. Regardless of whether or not she participated in these “unwholesome” activities indicated by internet messages, the fact is that she was a victim. Taylor was a young girl who did not deserve to have her life cut short, or to have her personal life become discussion for the water cooler.

-Melissa McGoniagle, with Robert Lee and Robin Lee