Facebook shuts down pages filled with abuse towards Jill Meagher’s killer

Police feared online abuse would threaten the accused killer’s right to a fair trial

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Jill Meagher: Rape and murder of Irish immigrant draws powerful public response

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Several Facebook pages that were dedicated to the abuse of Jill Meagher’s accused murderer, Adrian Ernest Bayley, have been shut down at the request of Victorian police authorities.

World News Australia reports on Facebook’s potential role in the Jill Meagher murder case. Six pages have been shut down after “days” of “repeated” requests from Victorian authorities.

"A number of sites have been taken down on our request, and we thank Facebook for that," a police spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.

The six Facebook pages, one which had more than 44,000 ‘likes,’ that have since been shut down, reportedly promoted hatred towards the accused Bayley. The pages ultimately incited violence and shared details about Bayley’s background, potentially threatening the man’s right to a fair trial.

“We've all got a social responsibility and Facebook is part of our community, and I would've thought it would only have been reasonable," Chief Commissioner Ken Lay had said earlier this week.

Facebook did not offer any comment in regards to the situation, though has in the past said that it is committed to monitoring its content in accordance with the law.

The news of the Facebook pages comes as Jill Meagher’s grieving family prepares for a private funeral in Melbourne. In a joint statement, Jill’s family said, "Each night when the world is quiet and still, your smile and the wonderful moments we have shared will crowd our minds and we will find missing you even harder.”

"Though we can't be together for now, in our thoughts and memories you will be here with us.

"Looking ahead to that time when we can be with you again and play frisbee."

Jill Meagher, 29, was raped and murdered while she was walking home from a nearby inner-city Brunswick bar in the early hours of Saturday, September 22. Her body was later found in a shallow grave not far from the bar. A mass dedicated to Meagher will be offered in her hometown of Drogheda on Friday.

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