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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Sam Rkaina

Prince William 'to reach out' to family of tragic teen Molly Russell

Prince William is to reach out to the family of a teen who took her own life after viewing self harm images on social media, it is claimed.

The Telegraph reports that the Duke of Cambridge will make contact privately to speak to relatives of Molly Russell.

Molly was just 14-years-old when she took her own life in November 2017.

The teenager was found to have viewed content on social media linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide.

Social media giants have come under intense pressure to vet the content on their platforms amid a national conversation prompted by Molly's death.

Prince Williams has raised concerns about the responsibilities of social media giants before (Getty Images)

Prince William attacks social media in passionate anti-cyberbullying speech  

Last November, the Prince gave a passionate anti cyberbullying speech in which he criticised firms for not doing more to tackle the issue.

He said technology firms "still have a great deal to learn" about their responsibilities and he challenged them to fight harder against poison spread online.

William said he believed tech leaders were "people of integrity" but they appeared to be unwilling to properly tackle issues amplified by the platforms - from cyber-bullying and misinformation to privacy and hate speech.

Molly's dad Ian says Instagram is partly responsible for his daughter's death (BBC)

Molly Russell: Police trying to unlock phone where teen saw sick Instagram posts  

Molly's father Ian Russell has previously said the time of social media self-regulation has passed.

"Up until now they have chosen their own course," he said earlier this month.

"Governments have allowed social media platforms to be self-regulated, but remember this really is a matter of life and death and it's getting worse.

"Now is the time for the UK Government to bring effective internet regulation, with strong sanctions as back-up.

"Now is the time for the UK to lead the world in making the online world a safer place, especially for the young."

If you need to speak to someone, Samaritans are available 24/7 by calling 116 123 or by emailing   jo@samaritans.org

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