'The suicide guide my daughter used is still on the internet 20 months later'
A Nottinghamshire mother is calling for urgent government action over a suicide guide which remains on the internet 20 months after her daughter's death. Beth Langton took her own life at home in Retford in February 2023 after ingesting a poisonous substance she bought online.
The 22-year-old, who had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder, followed detailed instructions on how to source and use the product that were posted on an internet forum. Her mother, Shelley Macpherson, said the same guide is still accessible on the website.
"It's appalling," said the 48-year-old.
"I want that specific website to be gone. I understand people are mentally ill and can be very distressed at times, but they could be making very permanent decisions that could have been temporary feelings."
After an inquest, which found inter-agency failings contributed to Ms Langton's death, coroner Laurinda Bower raised concerns over the prevalence of harmful advice on the internet. Writing to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), she said: "She followed that guidance meticulously.
"That same guidance was still readily available on the internet at the time of her inquest. What system is in place to ensure that such websites are detected promptly and made unavailable to the public in a timely fashion?"
Responding, the DHSC said the government had taken action to "address the prevalence of harmful suicide and self-harm content online", including the upcoming Online Safety Act. It said the bill would require "all services in scope" to remove illegal suicide and self-harm content once they become aware of it.
"Search services also have targeted duties that require them to minimise the risk of users encountering illegal search content, such as those found on this specific website," it added. The DHSC said Ofcom will recommend measures that search services can put in place, including removing results for sites that are known to host that type of content.
It continued: "The government has also worked with internet service providers, tech companies and social media platforms, as well as expert advisors such as the Samaritans, to tackle harmful pro-suicide forums." Ms Macpherson said the government's response was "not adequate", adding: "I think it's a lot of words in that response but in terms of actual action there's very little.
"I went online last night and could still access it. I was quite upset. I can still access the website that she accessed with the same exact guide."
Ms Macpherson, who lives in Newark, said the loss of her daughter had been devastating. "She was very intelligent, funny, loving and giving. She'd suffered with her mental health for 10 years. We'd always hope she would get better," she said.
"It's been devastating. I'm trying to focus on improving things in the future because that's all I can do now. I'm never going to get over the loss of my daughter so I can only try and help to raise awareness."
More should also be done to restrict the sale of the substance used by Ms Langton, according to her mother, who said it was still freely available to buy on some websites without any checks.
"It should trigger some alert. I could've bought it. I would hope [the government] would have the power to restrict it. Maybe it needs to be regulated," she said.
"They should need to have certifications in place for businesses." Coroner Bower echoed the concerns in a "prevention of future deaths report", a measure of last resort for coroners, writing: "Its use in suicide is increasing. The substance is readily available to purchase online without the need for any explanation of the purchaser’s intended use for the substance, or an end user certificate/licence to track where it is being distributed."
She said the company which supplied Ms Langton with the substance had "no idea" that it may be sourced to use for suicide. "Had they have been aware of the risk, they would likely have improved systems for investigating the intended use, or would have stopped offering the item for sale to individuals, as they have now done," she said.
The DHSC said: "The government has taken steps to reduce access to and awareness of this substance and therefore reduce the risks of further deaths by suicide." It said a working group, which includes government departments, police, the NHS and academics, "ensures rapid targeted actions to collectively reduce public access to emerging methods".
"The group has worked with business, including online suppliers and manufacturers of the substance, to significantly reduce access. We have also worked with major online suppliers to remove it from sale to individuals in its pure form."
A Government spokesperson said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Beth’s loved ones and all of those affected by her death. We know people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix our broken system to ensure that we give mental health the attention and focus it deserves, including by recruiting 8,500 new mental health workers.
"The Online Safety Act will mean platforms will have to proactively remove illegal suicide and self-harm content and stop children seeing material promoting it, even when it falls below the criminal threshold. The Act also places duties on search services to implement systems to reduce the risk of users encountering promotion or facilitation of suicide.”
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org for more information.