Facebook condemned for abuse on Claudia page

Sexually explicit and offensive messages were posted on the page which was set up in the wake of the York University chef’s disappearance nearly three years ago.

Miss Lawrence’s best friend, Suzy Cooper, claimed a drive to recruit thousands of members who had been lost after the site upgrade had led to rogue elements slipping through and leaving the abusive comments. It is understood up to 25 posts were left by internet users from as far afield as Australia over the weekend, but administrators have now removed the offending messages.

Miss Cooper, 47, from York, said: “I cannot get my head round why people would want to leave these messages. Claudia’s friends and family are still suffering, and to be confronted by postings like this is so upsetting.

“But it would not have happened if Facebook had not decided to upgrade the site – they gave us no choice other than to accept it despite attempts to keep the page as it was. For the last three years we didn’t have any major issues, and then we had to deal with a whole series of offensive postings.”

Facebook confirmed that an upgrade over the last 12 months, meant members of specific groups had to re-register. The move led to the number of members on the Missing Person – Claudia Lawrence page falling from 22,000 to just 32. Efforts to claw back the membership had seen the number rise to 236 yesterday.

Facebook stressed administrators are provided with tools to block people and remove content. A spokeswoman added: “We are absolutely clear that there is no place for trolling on Facebook. It’s against Facebook’s rules to intimidate or harass others, and we provide everyone with the tools to report such content via specific links across every page of our site.”

Miss Lawrence was aged 35 when she was last seen walking near her Heworth Road home, and detectives have failed to find any trace of her. The missing person inquiry was upgraded to a murder investigation the month after she vanished. Friends and family are faced with enduring another painful anniversary on Monday when they mark her 38th birthday.

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