Molly Russell: Online posts viewed by tragic 14-year-old were not safe, coroner rules

The coroner said online material viewed by the 14-year-old on sites such as Instagram and Pinterest ’shouldn’t have been available for a child to see’ before her death in 2017

Schoolgirl Molly Russell died from an act of self-harm while suffering from “depression and the negative effects of online content”, a coroner has found.

Coroner Andrew Walker said online material viewed by the 14-year-old on sites such as Instagram and Pinterest “was not safe” and “shouldn’t have been available for a child to see” before her death in 2017.

In a conclusion at North London Coroner's Court, Coroner Andrew Walker said: “Molly was at a transition period in her young life which made certain elements of communication difficult.”

He added the schoolgirl was “exposed to material that may have influenced her in a negative way and, in addition, what had started as a depression had become a more serious depressive illness”.

Mr Walker said he did not “think it would be safe” to leave suicide as a conclusion for himself to consider, instead finding Molly “died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content”.

Molly Russell in 2007 (family handout)
PA Media

The coroner said some of the content Molly viewed was “particularly graphic" and “normalised her condition,” focusing on a “limited” view without any counter-balance.

“At the time that these sites were viewed by Molly, some of these sites were not safe as they allowed access to adult content that should not have been available for a 14-year-old child to see.

“The way that the platforms operated meant that Molly had access to images, video clips and text concerning or concerned with self-harm, suicide or that were otherwise negative or depressing in nature.

“The platform operated in such a way using algorithms as to result, in some circumstances, of binge periods of images, video clips and text - some of which were selected and provided without Molly requesting them.

“These binge periods, if involving this content, are likely to have had a negative effect on Molly.”

Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, speaks to media outside Barnet Coroners Court
PA

Speaking outside North London Coroner’s Court after the coroner’s conclusion, Molly’s father Ian Russell said: “In the last week we’ve heard much about one tragic story – Molly’s story.

“Sadly, there are too many others similarly affected right now. At this point I just want to say however dark it seems, there is always hope, and if you’re struggling please speak to someone you trust or one of the many wonderful support organisations, rather than engage with online content that may be harmful.

“Please do what you can to live long and stay strong. I’ll give a fuller statement at the church hall when I’ve had time to collect my thoughts and I will be joined by others who would like to say more about online safety.

“For now, thanks for your support and reporting this story so sensitively. I hope this will be an important step in bringing about change.”

A spokeswoman for Meta said: “Our thoughts are with the Russell family and everyone who has been affected by this tragic death.

“We’re committed to ensuring that Instagram is a positive experience for everyone, particularly teenagers, and we will carefully consider the coroner’s full report when he provides it.

“We’ll continue our work with the world’s leading independent experts to help ensure that the changes we make offer the best possible protection and support for teens.”

Pinterest’s Judson Hoffman told the inquest the site was “not safe” when Molly used it.

The inquest was told that out of 16,300 posts Molly saved, shared or liked on Instagram in the six-month period before her death, 2,100 were depression, self-harm or suicide-related.

The court was played 17 clips the teenager viewed on the site – prompting “the greatest of warning” from the coroner.

The inquest also heard details of emails sent to Molly by Pinterest, with headings such as “10 depression pins you might like” and “new ideas for you in depression”.

Reacting to the coroner’s conclusions following the inquest, a spokesperson for Pinterest said on Friday: “Our thoughts are with the Russell family.

“We’ve listened very carefully to everything that the Coroner and the family have said during the inquest.

“Pinterest is committed to making ongoing improvements to help ensure that the platform is safe for everyone and the coroner’s report will be considered with care.

“Over the past few years, we’ve continued to strengthen our policies around self-harm content, we’ve provided routes to compassionate support for those in need and we’ve invested heavily in building new technologies that automatically identify and take action on self-harm content.

“Molly’s story has reinforced our commitment to creating a safe and positive space for our Pinners.”

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