Parents of drowned Dalgety Bay twins targeted for online abuse

The parents of Rhys and Shaun Scott have been targetted by online trolls

Police Scotland had to delete a string of abusive comments left on their Facebook page in the aftermath of the death of two-year-old boys Rhys and Shaun Scott on Saturday.

The toddlers lost their lives on Saturday morning after falling into a giant fish tank at a house in Breakers Way, Dalgety Bay, Fife.

Police Scotland confirmed they had deleted comments left on their site, and left a message on the page stating: “We want to ensure that the public are kept updated on our enquiries into the tragic death of Rhys and Shaun Scott, and request that all of our followers are respectful of their family and one another when commenting.”

But one unrepentant commenter - who claimed parents Mervyn Scott, 30, and Sarah Aitken, 32, were guilty of “gross negligence manslaughter” - said she felt “no remorse” for her public statements.

In posts under her screen name Al Downie Trussler, she said “Very few things anger me in life anymore, but when two two-year-old boys drowned in a pond and the parents are acting the victims and relating to what happened as a ‘freak accident’ that really angers me.

“Two precious little boys lost their lives because their parents didn’t supervise them properly.

“I am seeing this horrific incident from those two little boys’ perspective and I am being labelled as ‘vile’ and a ‘troll’.

“It is very clear that they wouldn’t be [dead] had the parents just been more cautious and vigilant.

“I STRONGLY feel and believe that the parents are responsible for gross negligence manslaughter of their two boys.

“This was not JUST an accident.”

In a later public post, she added: “I will always keep it about those two poor little boys that died because of their parents neglectful behaviour.

“I do not feel remorse for their parents nor will I apologise for anything that I put in regards to those poor little boys.

“Just because they are dead doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve justice for their lives being shortened by their parents.”

Angry family members and members of the public hit out at the comments.

Sandra Rodgers, aunt of the twins’ mother, said: “Our niece has just tragically lost her two gorgeous boys, and the family are devastated and heartbroken.

“Let the authorities do their investigations and leave the family to grieve for Shaun and Rhys in peace please.”

And Mhairi Paterson added: “Fife Police Division can this post please be removed in respect of this poor family’s loss.”

A Crown Office spokesman said: “These tragic deaths are the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

“It would be inappropriate to say anything more at such an early stage of the investigation.”