Margaret Watson gives evidence to the Scottish Parliament.
The mother of a schoolgirl stabbed to death after a playground row has appealed to politicians to create an independent body to protect the “rights” of the deceased.
Margaret Watson, who appeared before a Holyrood committee, believes negative reporting about her daughter Diane led to her teenage son Alan committing suicide.
Sixteen-year-old Diane was stabbed to death by fellow pupil Barbara Glover after a playground argument at their Glasgow school in 1991.
Mrs Watson had told the Leveson Inquiry into press standards that libel laws should be changed so newspapers could be sued for defaming the dead.
She told MSPs: “There has certainly got to be some provision put in, hopefully in the Scottish Parliament, to give some protection and some rights to families who have lost someone. I hope this Parliament will take it seriously.
“Please put some provision in, where if you’ve got a complaint against the media, please allow us to present our evidence to some kind of tribunal.
“It doesn’t have to be before a court but as long as it’s independent. Please put something, some kind of provision in, where we can present our evidence in person.”
