Starmer urged to open inquiry into scale of harm from online suicide forums
In a letter to the Prime Minister calling for an inquiry, a group of bereaved families said their “loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threats.
Sir Keir Starmer must open an inquiry into the scale of harm caused by online forums promoting suicide, a group of survivors and families of the bereaved have said.
Listen to this article
Meanwhile, multiple Government departments have received a combined total of 65 warnings about the risks from suicide forums and have failed to act, a new report said.
In a letter to the Prime Minister calling for an inquiry, a group of bereaved families said their “loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threats, which despite multiple warnings has failed to act to save lives and prevent harm”.
They added: “This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.
“What is important now is not blame but change that will mean more vulnerable young people are not put at risk of entirely preventable harm.”
Analysis by the Molly Rose Foundation and lived experience group Families And Survivors To Prevent Online Suicide Harms has warned about an online forum which they say continues to encourage vulnerable people to take their own lives.
Read more: How a masked gang stole Napoleon's jewellery from the Louvre in just seven minutes
The charity and campaign group did not name the website in their Missed Chances, Lost Lives report as a preventative measure. Neither did they name a substance which was described as a “poison”, and is believed to have led to at least 133 deaths in the UK.
Coroners have raised concerns about either the substance or suicide forums with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Home Office, and the Department of Health at least 65 times since 2019, the report said.
Law firm Leigh Day has also written to ministers urging the Government to open an inquiry, on behalf of a group of families affected.
The letter said a public inquiry is needed because coroners’ courts cannot institute the changes needed to protect vulnerable people from such online sites.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “This report paints clear how repeated failures of the state to protect its vulnerable citizens mean that the nihilistic potential of a suicide forum has cost countless lives.
“It is inexplicable that Ofcom has left the fate of a forum that exists to groom and coerce others to end their lives in its own hands rather than take swift and decisive action to legally shut it down in the UK.
“Nothing less than a public inquiry is now needed to learn the countless lessons and act on them to save lives.”
Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, said: “Today’s report must be a wake-up call to the institutional failures and missed opportunities that have left vulnerable people at risk.
“A statutory public inquiry into the 133 lost lives is an urgent next step and must be conducted swiftly and sensitively to learn lessons and act decisively.
“It is thanks to bereaved families and civil society that this harm has been exposed and now the Government must step up and play its part to save lives.”
Merry Varney, a partner at Leigh Day representing seven of the families calling for a public inquiry, said: “With over 100 lives being lost and tens of prevention of future death reports issued, a statutory public inquiry is urgently required to examine how so many opportunities were missed to make effective change.
“The inquiry should require those responsible to explain why they did not act in the face of such obvious harm.
“A statutory inquiry will also ensure multi-agency and cross-department lessons are learned and expose the ineffective regulatory scheme in place after the substance was downgraded in 2015.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.
“Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and ensure children are protected from harmful content that promotes it. If they fail to do so, they can expect to face robust enforcement, including substantial fines.
“The substance in question is closely monitored and is reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm. We will continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure the right safeguards are in place.”
Samaritans provides 24-hour support for people at risk of suicide. They can be contacted anonymously on 116 123 or at samaritans.org