The Prince of Wales has said that “no parent should ever have to endure” what Molly Russell’s family have been through following the conclusion of her inquest.
Prince William added that online safety among children and young people should be a priority, not an afterthought.
On Friday, Coroner Andrew Walker concluded Molly had died while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content.
In a message of condolence to Molly’s family on Twitter, Prince William said: “No parent should ever have to endure what Ian Russell and his family have been through.
“They have been so incredibly brave. Online safety for our children and young people needs to be a prerequisite, not an afterthought.”
Molly took her own life in 2017 after looking at content related to suicide, depression and anxiety online. Coroner Walker said that the images she viewed “shouldn’t have been available for a child to see.”
Molly’s father, Ian Russell, made a direct plea to Meta to stop publishing a “demented trail of life-sucking content” following the coroner’s ruling.
He said that he hopes that the coroner’s conclusions will be an “important step in bringing about much-needed change.”
At the inquest, lawyers acting on behalf of Molly’s family had argued that sites such as Pinterest and Instagram recommended accounts or posts that “promoted” suicide or self-harm.
Molly had saved, shared or liked 2,100 posts on Instagram related to depression, self-harm or suicide in the six months leading up to her death.
More to follow…
