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Death of boy, 15, linked to Internet
Teenager visited suicide sites
Paul Whitehouse
A BOY aged 15 was found dead after logging on to websites devoted to suicide for more than a year.
Kieran Hudson used his knowledge of computers to bypass restrictions his mother had imposed on access to the Internet.
The case highlights the cult of suicide on the Internet which was also linked to the death of Doncaster teenager Carina Stephenson, 17.
Her mother Liz Taylor is now campaigning for the Government to restrict access to these sites in an attempt to prevent future tragedies, and is backed by the Yorkshire Post.
Carina had also been able to disable the parental controls installed on her laptop computer, enabling her to visit chatrooms and websites where suicide was discussed and promoted. That meant her family were unaware of that contact until after her death.
Kieran, who was found dead on May 22 this year, is the youngest person so far whose death is linked to the Internet.
Details emerged at an inquest which was told he died as a result of sniffing an aerosol deodorant a week after visiting websites about suicide.
The hearing heard he had visited a website after making the entry "kill yourself with deodorant" and had also visited the Amazon online book website, searching for suicide- related books.
As the investigation into Kieran's death progressed, it emerged he had been visiting websites related to suicide and drugs for around a year before he died.
Kieran lived in Rodborough, Gloucestershire, and Coroner Alan Crickmore, who recorded an open verdict, criticised the sites. He said he was "surprised and dismayed" at the levity demonstrated by some of the Internet entries.
Mr Crickmore said: "Many are couched in surprisingly humorous terms. It is a levity that is probably unhelpful to teenagers."
Kieran was found by his mother Caroline Hudson when she arrived home. She tried to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but was unable to revive him.
She told the hearing she was certain Kieran's death was an accident, as he had never spoken of suicide or left a note.
After the hearing Mrs Hudson issued a statement saying Kieran was "a much loved son, who was affectionate and caring towards his family".
She added: "He was a boy with an inquiring mind who, like so many young people, did not appreciate the dangers inherent in experimentation."
Mrs Hudson also issued a warning to all parents to monitor their teenagers' access to the Internet.
She said: "An important factor in the actions leading to his death was his fascination with websites giving instructions concerning dangerous activities."
Liz Taylor launched her campaign following daughter Carina's death and hopes to persuade the Government to change the law to restrict access to websites which could be a harmful influence.
"This stuff is readily available and at 15 children see it and think it is OK for them. They will always find a way around restrictions on the computers because they have far better knowledge of that stuff than most adults. They are spoon-fed that knowledge from an early age.
"It would be hard to invent a more horrifying story than this," she said.
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