The full inquest in relation to the death of Molly Russell started on Tuesday 20 September 2022 and completed on the 30 September. When the inquest finished, Coroner Andrew Walker concluded that Molly Russell "died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content".
He continued to say that Molly was "exposed to material that may have influenced her in a negative way". In some cases, the content was particularly graphic, tending to portray self-harm and suicide as an inevitable consequence of a condition that could not be recovered from"
Conclusions and Response
Our thoughts go out to the Russel family at this time - it is clear from the inquest that considerable areas within the field of online safety need to be addressed. As well as this, it has brought into discussion the Online Safety Bill and how the Government will ensure children and young people are efficiently protected online.
David Wright (CEO of SWGfL) said: ''The coroner’s conclusions from the Molly Russell inquest has shown that online platforms need to do more. This has been a significant moment, not just for social media but for the future of online safety.
It adds further expectation of the much heralded Online Safety Bill and whilst we generally see this improving online safety, we continue to highlight that it will actually dismantle some of the safeguards that we currently have in place. Specifically, we refer to notified platforms currently having to have ‘Impartial Dispute Resolution’ processes which as an obligation, the Online Safety Bill is set to remove.
This is an important safeguard as, without an accessible and impartial way to appeal against platform decisions, no one is standing up for victims. We cannot allow an Online Safety Bill that does not put the support and protection of users first. This obligation is an essential and mandatory practice that will work towards a safer internet the Online Safety Bill originally set out to achieve.''
Report Harmful Content
We continue to support victims of online harm by providing an accessible way for anyone over the age of 13 to get advice around how to report harmful online content. Reported content that has not had the expected response can be escalated through a report to our practitioners who are able to see whether the content in question goes against community standards and provide advice and further actions users can take. The work that Report Harmful Content does gives victims of online harm an impartial line of support, that can work towards making the internet a safer place for all. We encourage anyone who is concerned about harmful online content to take action and get the correct advice.
If you are a professional needing advice around the Molly Russell inquest, you can read our guidance about how to support the children in your care who may be affected by some of the topics.
