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Ofcom has ramped up its probe into an online suicide forum after bereaved families and survivors said they were “dismayed and appalled” by its lack of action. After mounting pressure from campaigners , the media regulator this evening said it is progressing its investigation “as a priority” and aims to conclude it swiftly. The suicide forum was the first target of an Ofcom investigation under the Online Safety Act. Its probe opened in April. The US-based site responded to enforcement proceedings by implementing a geo-block to restrict access by people with UK IP addresses. But the Molly Rose Foundation(MRF), a suicide prevention charity, said it is aware that the site remains actively used by vulnerable adults despite the block. It said it notified Ofcom that people in the UK were still accessing the forum on October 21. The media regulator this evening claimed that after evidence provided to it by Samaritans on November 4, it now has reason to believe the service is available to UK users. In a letter to Ofcom’s chief executive Melanie Dawes, which was sent on Tuesday, bereaved families hit out at Ofcom's lack of enforcement action against the forum. They said: “We have felt consistently let down by Ofcom’s failure to grasp the evident urgency of protecting vulnerable children and adults from the horrors of this site and the appalling criminality that it promotes. “That Ofcom now continues to be unwilling or unable to grasp the severity and urgency of blocking this site and take steps to halt its operations is as bewildering as it is re-traumatising. “It breaks our hearts that other families are and will continue to experience the grief and despair that each of us has experienced while the regulator chooses to stand back in the face of inherently preventable harm.” The letter came after MRF and Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms found 65 warnings had been made to Government about the site and a substance it promotes as a suicide method. The substance is believed to have caused at least 133 deaths in the UK, but the number may be even higher. Both the forum and substance’s victims tended to be in their early 20s, with the youngest known victim being 13. The Mirror has taken the editorial decision not to name the forum or substance. The bereaved families represent a number of victims of the site, including Lucas Webb who was 16 and Vlad Nikolin-Caisley who was 17. The youngest known victim of the site was just 13. They are calling for a public inquiry into the State’s response to the site and poison following multiple missed opportunities to act to save lives. An Ofcom spokesman said: “In light of new evidence provided to us by Samaritans earlier this week, our investigation is progressing as a priority. "Services that do not protect UK users from illegal content should expect swift enforcement action, and we aim to reach a conclusion to our investigation as quickly as possible. “People with lived experience of harm online are at the heart of the action we take, and we'll continue to talk to bereaved families and survivors as part of our work.” Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of MRF, said: "If this is the beginning of a U-turn, we welcome this. However, there are serious questions to answer about why Ofcom has delayed taking action on multiple breaches of the law and why it takes bereaved families to have forced the regulator’s hand. "We would also note that Ofcom were made aware that UK users were still accessing the forum several weeks ago. It is unclear why this information wasn’t acted on at the time." :: Contact the Samaritans for mental health support on 116 123, email at josamaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
