Rockingham councillor Kelly Middlecoat and her one-year-old daughter the target of vicious online trolling

Kelly Middlecoat nominated for local government in 2023 to “build a city that we, and our children, can all be proud to call home” but just months later her mental health is suffering. The 35-year-old chartered accountant is navigating first-time motherhood and juggling her role as a councillor at the City of Rockingham while being targeted by a vicious online trolling campaign. This particular troll likes to hit Ms Middlecoat where it really hurts by attacking her capabilities as a mother. For three months Ms Middlecoat has received nasty messages, seen by the Sound Telegraph, both privately and publicly from a person who enjoys targeting her one-year-old daughter. “As a public servant, I understand that scrutiny and criticism come with the territory,” Ms Middlecoat told the Sound Telegraph. “However, there is a line that should never be crossed and that line is the privacy of our families. “Regardless of my role as an elected member, private family lives and children should not be bargaining chips to be used in political warfare.” Since the COVID outbreak, threats against politicians in Australia have skyrocketed. In 2022, the Australian Federal Police investigated 548 reports of harassment, nuisance and other threats against politicians. Figures obtained by the Herald Sun this year revealed more than 420 reports had been made in the first six months of 2023-24. Attacks on the children of politicians can range from the absurd to horrifying. In the absurd camp, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison accompanied his two teenage daughters to a recent Taylor Swift concert. What should have been seen as a sweet fatherly act instead attracted thousands of remarks online, some making horrible jokes about the girls’ appearance while others questioned the former PM’s fathering skills. Moving to the sinister, back in 2021, two WA men were charged with criminal offences after allegedly threatening to “behead” Premier Mark McGowan and his children. Research from 2020, showed that anywhere from 30 to 93 per cent of politicians reported having experienced harassment or stalking behaviour in North America and Western Europe. Harassment also doesn’t just extend to elected members but those trying to dip their toes into the political arena. During her unsuccessful 2023 local government election campaign, Mary Toki, wife of Survivor reality star Luke, was harassed by the same troll as Ms Middlecoat. The Sound Telegraph was provided screenshots of cruel messages that referenced her children but Ms Toki declined to be interviewed. “Attacking someone’s parenting skills or family as a means to discredit their professional competence or undermine their credibility in their job is seen as an act of political sabotage and gutter politics,” Ms Middlecoat said. “Our children are not expendable collateral in the game of politics. They don’t deserve to be subjected to those who seek to weaponise them for their own nefarious ends.” City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin said elected members can contact the City’s assistance provider for support with any situations that can be impacting their general well-being. “The City of Rockingham’s elected members’ social media pages are managed by the members themselves, including moderating content and dealing with comments they deem inappropriate,” she added. Digital strategist and social media specialist Nicole Jameson has extensive experience in the local government space and is a parent with an online following. She had some advice for the targets of harassment: pour a glass of wine, sit down, block and delete. “It used to just be politicians and celebs up for grabs with trolling on social media, but now everyone is their own celebrity,” she said. “It’s an indictment on our community that people are so brave to make comments about other people’s parenting and that children are seen as common property to be torn apart. “If you put yourself out there, you have to be open to criticism but humanity has to win out. “Don’t fight with crazy because they’ll drag you to their level and beat you with experience.” Ms Jameson said in these cases understanding the troll’s motives and taking offline measures to make peace can be effective, particularly for public figures like politicians seeking to quell the flames. As for Ms Middlecoat, her experience has made her reconsider sharing images or speaking about her child online.