The father of schoolgirl Molly Russell has urged motion at her inquest to “prevent such a young life being wasted again” and warned “no one is immune from such tragedy”.
Ian Russell was talking at North London Coroner’s Court of the “torment” his daughter “must have endured” earlier than her dying.
In an announcement learn out to the courtroom, Molly’s mom, Janet, outlined what occurred moments earlier than she found her daughter’s physique and the way she “knew then something wasn’t right”.
Molly, 14, from Harrow, north-west London, was discovered useless in her bed room in November 2017 after viewing on-line content material linked to anxiousness, despair and self-harm.
Since her dying, Molly’s household have campaigned for higher web security.
Senior staff from social media giants Meta, the mum or dad firm of Instagram and Facebook, and Pinterest are resulting from give proof in individual through the inquest.
Addressing what he hopes will occur following his daughter’s dying, Mr Russell mentioned: “Just as Molly would have wanted, it is important to seek to learn whatever we can and then to take all necessary action to prevent such a young life being wasted again.”
He mentioned her dying was a mark to folks that it was “okay not to be okay” and he raised a statistic from the Mental Health Foundation which estimated that one in 15 individuals within the UK will try suicide in some unspecified time in the future of their lives.
Mr Russell added: “No one is immune from such tragedy, it is closer to all of us than we would care to think, and breaking the stigma that surrounds mental health, self-harm and suicide is literally vital.”
Paying tribute to his daughter, Mr Russell mentioned: “Five years ago, the Russell family life was unremarkable, yet imperceptibly our adorable youngest family member, Molly, had been struggling with her mental health and hiding her struggles from the rest of us while she battled her demons in the hope of finding peace.
“Five years in the past, as Molly’s emotions of worthlessness grew and her sense of helplessness deepened, ending her life appeared to her like an answer – whereas to us her life appeared very regular.
“It is sadly all too easy to look back and think of the torment Molly must have endured, the pain she must have experienced, and the isolation she must have felt so deeply.
“It’s all too simple to dwell on the occasions that led Molly to finish her life.
“It’s all too easy to forget the person she really was: someone full of love and hope and happiness, a young person full of promise and opportunity and potential.
“And so, as this inquest begins, we, her household, suppose it’s important to recollect who Molly actually was so we are able to every maintain an image in our minds of a caring particular person, full of affection and effervescent with pleasure for what ought to have lay forward in her life.”
The courtroom beforehand heard how on Twitter, Molly tweeted or retweeted 460 instances, favored 4,100 tweets, was following 116 accounts and had 42 followers.
Molly didn’t have a Facebook profile – she was a way more energetic person of Pinterest, with greater than 15,000 engagements, together with 3,000 saves, within the final six months of her life.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can name Samaritans for assistance on 116 123 or electronic mail [email protected].
Alternatively, letters could be mailed to: Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.
Source: information.sky.com”