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Victory for 'suicide website' campaign
MINISTERS are to re-write the law on so-called "suicide websites" to make it clear they are illegal, the Ministry of Justice has announced today.
Websites which encourage users to commit suicide or carry information on suicide techniques have been implicated in dozens of deaths in the UK in recent years, including that of 17-year-old Doncaster schoolgirl Carina Stephenson.
It is already illegal under the 1961 Suicide Act to promote suicide but no website operator has yet been prosecuted under the Act and ministers previously argued a voluntary code of conduct governing the internet was adequate.
In a policy U-turn the Ministry of Justice today said it will amend the law to make it clear it applies online and help Internet Service Providers police the sites they host.
The announcement is a victory for Carina's family who launched a high-profile campaign following her death, backed by the Yorkshire Post, demanding tougher action.
Justice Minister Maria Eagle said: "There is no magic solution to protecting vulnerable people online.
"Updating the language of the Suicide Act, however, should help to reassure people that the internet is not a lawless environment and that we can meet the challenges of the digital world."
Carina was found hanged from a tree near to her home in the spring of 2005.
After her death her horrified parents found the student, who had recently spent six months in Australia with her family for a reality TV show, had used the laptop they had bought for her studies to visit websites discussing suicide and the best ways to kill youself.
She had hanged herself using a technique found on the internet.
So-called suicide websites have been condemned for offering information about ways to kill oneself, chatrooms where users have been said to encourage others, and even the chance for people to meet suicide partners.
Thousands of people across Yorkshire signed up to Ms Taylor's petition, including demanding tougher Government action.
Are suicide websites illegal?
Suicide is not an offence in the UK but the Suicide Act 1961 makes it a crime to aid, abet, counsel or procure another person to kill themselves or attempt to. Giving information through a website that would enable somebody to commit suicide may not amount to this.
There is no central body to regulate what appears on the internet. Each country applies its own laws to internet activity within their jurisdiction, which causes confusion on the question of legality on the web which is not confined to national boundaries. What may be illegal in the UK, for example, may be legal in the United States.
The UK's Internet Service Providers Association operates a "notice and take down" policy to remove illegal material if it is made aware of it, but insists its voluntary members should not be the judge of what is legal or appropriate.
Can access to such sites be blocked?
Filters can prevent access to such sites and block specific pages if the internet address is known.
Limited filtering is usually built into internet browsers, which can be accessed by selecting tools on your browser menu and selecting internet options, then choosing content.
But anyone with sufficient knowledge can override filters or parental controls installed on a computer. Carina installed her own replacement program that allowed her to view an unrestricted range of websites.
Where can those considering suicide, or their families, find help?
The Samaritans organisation is available around the clock by telephone, 08457 909090, or by email at jo@samaritans.org where advisors deal with callers in absolute confidence.
The suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS runs a service called HOPELine UK for parents needing advice on how best to deal with their children's difficulties. Lines are staffed by professionals from the health service and the contact number is 0870 1704000.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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