'What happened to you?': Parents whose children took own lives demand access to content they were exposed to online

Bereaved parents of children who took their ain lives privation authorities to instrumentality online histories into relationship erstwhile determining their origin of death.

The parent of Archie Battersbee, who died successful August 2022 after a "prank oregon experiment" that went wrong, joined different families to request much entree to contented their children were exposed to online.

"I deliberation it should beryllium disposable and beryllium portion of the full investigation," Hollie Dance told Sky News.

"When it comes to a child's death, everything should beryllium looked into.

"Obviously they look into the parents, the location life, schoolhouse life. Why not look into societal media?"

Ms Dance's 12-year-old lad Archie died aft being recovered unconscious astatine location 4 months earlier.

She believes helium whitethorn person been taking portion successful an online challenge, but a coroner ruled his decease an accident.

"We've got his telephone now, truthful let's spell backmost and spot what this kid was into," she said.

"What did helium watch? Did helium look astatine a batch of societal media? Didn't he?"

Molly Russell ruling 'opened our eyes'

Ian Russell campaigned to get entree to his girl Molly's societal media past aft she was recovered dormant successful her chamber successful November 2017.

It emerged Molly, 14, had viewed masses of contented related to suicide, depression, and anxiousness online.

In a landmark ruling astatine an inquest successful September, a coroner ruled she died not from suicide, but "an enactment of self-harm portion suffering from slump and the antagonistic effects of online content."

Ms Dance, who was joined by Mr Russell astatine a gathering of bereaved families this week, said: "Having Molly's dada present has fixed america cognition that we didn't know.

"It opened our eyes to things that we tin perchance bash and usage moving forward."

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'What has happened to you?'

Liam Walsh's girl Maia died conscionable weeks earlier her 14th birthday.

An inquest into her decease opened successful October, but a proceeding day is yet to beryllium set.

Mr Walsh the coroner volition person entree to Maia's afloat societal media past earlier determining what caused her death.

"The question I asked arsenic I ran my fingers done her hair, and I held her belly, was what has happened," helium said.

"What has happened to you? I'm inactive asking that question today."

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'We person this mission'

In her archetypal interrogation since her lad Isaac's death, Lisa Kenevan told Sky News she is connected a ngo to bring change.

"He was a emblematic 13-year-old lad with a bully radical of friends," she said.

"He was precise loving. We'd clasp him each day, and he'd clasp america each day."

She thinks societal media mightiness clasp clues to what drove Isaac to his death.

"Our satellite has conscionable been awful, but we person this mission, this need, this privation to get retired determination for each different genitor that's been going done this, to either travel guardant oregon cognize they've got support," she said.

"And to truly propulsion guardant to get immoderate consciousness astir the societal platforms - that things request to beryllium stepped up."

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'Threats were made to wounded us'

The families met astatine the location of George and Areti Nicolaou, whose lad Christoforos, 15, took his ain beingness successful 2022 aft joining an online forum wherever helium was encouraged to bash unsafe challenges.

His parents described him arsenic "the bosom of the house", who was "bringing joyousness and happiness successful our home", but the challenges helium did escalated and made him miserable.

"There were challenges similar he's got to not spell to slumber astatine all, past spell to schoolhouse successful the morning," his parents said.

"Then determination were challenges similar you've got to chat with america done the night. Then determination were challenges wherever they made him get his telephone and grounds the full house.

"Then threats were made to wounded us, his parents, should helium not implicit the challenges he's been asked to do."

George and Areti person launched the Christoforos Charity Foundation successful their son's memory.

They anticipation their enactment with different families to rise consciousness of online harms guarantee his bequest reaches adjacent further.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed oregon suicidal tin telephone Samaritans for assistance connected 116 123 oregon email [email protected] successful the UK. In the US, telephone the Samaritans subdivision successful your country oregon 1 (800) 273-TALK