Bereaved families call for inquiry after suicide website warnings ‘ignored’

Bereaved families are calling for a public inquiry into what they say are “repeated failures” by the UK government to protect vulnerable people from a website that encourages suicide.

A report by the Molly Rose Foundation says departments were warned 65 times about the online forum, which BBC News did not name, and others liked it but failed to act.

At least 133 people have died in the UK as a result of a toxic chemical promoted by the site and similar forums, the suicide prevention charity says.

The government did not say whether it would consider an investigation, but said the sites in question must block users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content or face “strong sanctions, including significant fines”.

Families and survivors have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, calling for an investigation into why warnings from coroners and activists were ignored.

David Parfett, whose son Tom committed suicide in 2021, told the BBC that successive governments had been understanding but lacked accountability.

“Individuals who host suicide platforms to spread cult-like messages that suicide is normal and make money by selling deaths remain several steps ahead of government ministers and law enforcement,” he said.

“I can’t think of a better memorial for my son than knowing that people like him are protected from harm while regaining their sanity.”

David and six other families are represented by law firm Leigh Day, which wrote to the prime minister highlighting its concerns about the main suicide forum.

The letter states that victims are groomed online and are generally in their early 20s, with the youngest known victim being 13 years old.

The report argues that a public inquiry is needed because coroners’ courts have failed to implement the changes needed to protect vulnerable people.

According to the report, coroners have expressed concerns and issued dozens of warnings to the Home Office, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Social Care since the forum, which has been criticized by families, first emerged in 2019.

The report highlighted four main findings:

• The Home Office has refused to tighten regulations on the substance, which is readily available online, while the UK Border Force is “struggling to respond to imports” from overseas sellers

• Media regulator Ofcom’s decision to rely on “voluntary measures” by main forum operators rather than taking steps to restrict UK access

• Repeated failures by government agencies to act on coroners’ warnings

• Operational shortcomings, including inconsistent police welfare checks and delays in making antidotes available to emergency services

A government spokesman said the substance in question was “closely monitored and may be reported under the Poisons Act”, meaning retailers should report it to authorities if they suspect the substance was purchased with the intent to cause harm.

But campaigners say the government’s response has been fragmented and slow, with authorities “just forwarding the package” rather than taking co-ordinated action.

Adele Zeynep Walton, whose sister Aimee died in 2022, said families like hers were “ignored and dismissed.”

“He was creative, a very talented artist, a talented musician,” he told BBC News.

“Aimee was hard-working and achieved great GCSE results, but she was shy and quiet and struggled to make friends.

“Every time I learn of a new loss of life on the same website that killed my sister three years ago, it infuriates me that another family has to go through this preventable tragedy.”

The request for an investigation follows concerns expressed by BBC in 2023when an investigation uncovered sites offering instructions and encouragement to commit suicide and evading regulations.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said the state’s failure to act “cost countless lives”.

He also accused Ofcom of being “inexplicably slow” in restricting UK access to the Foundation’s main website, where it had raised concerns.

Within the scope of the Online Security Act, which became law in October 2023, Ofcom gets powers to take action against sites containing illegal content in March 2025This includes assisting in suicide. If sites fail to demonstrate that they have systems in place to remove illegal material, Ofcom can block them or impose fines of up to £18 million.

UK users are currently unable to access the US-based forum. A message on the forum’s homepage states that the forum has been blocked to people in the UK not as a result of government action, but instead due to a “proactive” decision to “protect the platform and its users.”

“We operate under the protection of the First Amendment. However, UK authorities have signaled their intention to enforce their domestic laws on foreign platforms, which could potentially lead to criminal liability or disruption of service,” the message said.

In a statement, Ofcom said: “In response to our enforcement action, the online suicide forum has implemented a geoblock to restrict access by people with UK IP addresses.

“Services that choose to deny access to people in the UK should not promote or promote ways to circumvent these restrictions.”

He added that the forum remained on the watch list and that a previously launched investigation into the forum remained open while he checked whether the blog was maintained.

• If you or someone you know is affected by mental health problems BBC Action Line has compiled a list of organizations that can help.