MUM'S PAIN
A MOURNING mum whose son killed himself after finding an online suicide forum has called for it to be shut down.
Joe Nihill, 23, from Leeds, died in April 2020 after finding instructions on how to commit suicide online.
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A total of 21 men died after getting access to the website, the revealed.
Joe's mum Catherine believes her son would still be alive if it weren't for the forum and called for it to be shut down.
She said: "Telling people to die, to take their life. They're monsters."
"If Joe hadn't have had himself on there we could have had more of a fighting chance that he'd still be here. It needs to go. It needs banning. It's disgusting."
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In his final suicide note, Joe told police: "Please do your best in closing that website for everyone else [and] look after my mum and family."
Catherine added: "I miss my son. When I'm reading his letter, I can hear him saying it. How many more lives are going to be taken before they do something?'
A man named Jeremy who joined the forum said: "I know what it's like to be in the situation where you're in the darkest place you've ever been and you don't feel as though that will end, you feel as though there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Don't give up."
Police told him that because the site is hosted abroad there is nothing they can do.
He added: "I think they're out of touch. British law enforcement have effectively tried to sweep it under the carpet on the basis the website is not based in the UK.
"There is a site out there that is coaching British citizens on how to end their lives and something needs doing about it."
A spokesperson for the Department of Media, Culture, and Sport told the BBC: "Our bill will bring accountability to internet firms by giving them legal duties to protect UK users from harm.
"Online content encouraging suicide is illegal and all companies will have to remove and limit people's exposure to it."
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If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
- Movember,
- Anxiety UK , 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm