Suicide websites
Question: There are many web-sites that provide information about committing suicide, are these illegal?
Answer: Suicide itself is not an offence, but section 2(1) of the Suicide Act makes it an offence to aid, abet, counsel or procure another person to commit or attempt suicide. For aiding and abetting to be proved, there must be participation in the act of suicide, as well as a knowledge of what is going to take place. Someone who counsels or procures is liable only for an act of suicide that is committed as a consequence of what he does, so there must be a causal connection between the counselling and procuring and the commission of the act.
If an individual helps someone to inject himself with a lethal drug or supplies the lethal drug knowing that it is required for the purpose of committing suicide, they could be charged with aiding and abetting. But simply providing information about suicide does not in itself necessarily amount to aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring, any more than providing information about ways to commit murder would constitute an offence.
Source: Hansard 25.01.05
Question: Where can I find information about preventing access to these sites?
Answer: Many filtering products will provide the option to block such web-sites, additionally, if you know the URL's of the web-sites, you can block them yourself through the filtering tools you have installed or if you do not have any installed, then there are limited filtering tools built into Internet Explorer and most other browsers. To access these tools, select tools on your Browser menu and select Internet Options, then select Content. You can then use the use RSCAi content advisor or add a specific URL. More information can be found at www.parentscentre.gov.uk.
Question: Does the Government offer any help and advice in this matter?
Answer: The Government has a suicide prevention strategy, setting a target to reduce the death rate from suicide by at least a fifth by the year 2010. The strategy will involve working in partnership with a range of organisations and individuals and is based on six goals, including one to improve the reporting of suicide behaviour in the media. Further information about the strategy can be obtained from the Department of Health website.
Question: I have suicidal intentions or I know someone who does, who can I turn to?
Answer: Contact the Samaritans or Papyrus or your local GP for immediate assistance.
FAQ Internet risks (Taken from article in Guardian Online, 11/10/05, Clampdown on chatrooms after two strangers die in first internet death pact)
Are suicide chatrooms breaking the law?
The 1961 Suicide Act made it a crime to aid, abet, counsel or procure another to kill themselves or to try. The Home Office says people making postings to suicide chatrooms are not breaking the law unless they know that a suicide is being planned, and there is a direct link between their posting and the subsequent death.
The 1961 Suicide Act made it a crime to aid, abet, counsel or procure another to kill themselves or to try. The Home Office says people making postings to suicide chatrooms are not breaking the law unless they know that a suicide is being planned, and there is a direct link between their posting and the subsequent death.
How common are internet suicide pacts?
Such pacts have been reported in Japan, Australia, Norway, Korea and the United States. In Britain, two men planned to leap from Beachy Head after meeting on the internet three years ago. One killed himself and the second backed out. After posting details of the incident to a chatroom, he was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting suicide. He killed himself shortly before he was due to appear in court.
Such pacts have been reported in Japan, Australia, Norway, Korea and the United States. In Britain, two men planned to leap from Beachy Head after meeting on the internet three years ago. One killed himself and the second backed out. After posting details of the incident to a chatroom, he was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting suicide. He killed himself shortly before he was due to appear in court.
Can the internet influence whether anyone commits suicide?
Numerous studies have established close links between media reports of suicide and both subsequent increases in suicide rates, and the methods employed. Last year a group of child psychiatrists in Mannheim concluded, after studying adolescents who are predisposed to suicide, that the internet is little different to other media in this respect.
Page Created: Fri, November 12th, 2004
Page Modified: Thu, November 30th, 2006
