Hacking Settlement: News Corp. to Pay $4.7M to Family of Slain Girl, Charity

The media conglomerate’s British publishing subsidiary will pay Milly Dowler’s family $3.1 million and donate $1.6 million to charity

News International, News Corp.’s British publishing subsidiary, agreed on Monday to pay $4.7 million to the family of the phone hacking victim whose case reignited the scandal in July, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Of the reported £3 million offer ($4.7 million in US dollars) — easily the scandal's biggest settlement to date — £1 million ($1.6 million) will go to charity and the remainder to the family of Milly Dowler.

Dowler, a 13-year old girl, had her phone hacked back in 2002 after she was abducted and later killed.

This was a major story across the pond, but the hacking element did not emerge until this summer with a story in The Guardian. 

That led to the closing of the News of the World, the British tabloid overseen by News International, as well as a series of high-profile arrests and governmental inquiries. With investigations ongoing, more hacking victims continue to emerge and News Corp. has set aside money for expected settlements.

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