UK father hangs himself online
p2pnet.net news:- About 100 chatroom users saw Kevin Whitrick, the British father of 12-year-old twins, hang himself during an online ‘cybercide’.
Some of the watchers, “allegedly incited him to hang himself,” says the Sunday Times, going on:
“Kevin Whitrick, 42, from Telford, Shropshire, killed himself after being goaded in an ‘insult’ chatroom at the Paltalk website. One of the users is claimed to have told him: ‘F***ing do it. Get on with it’.
“The death has highlighted concerns that some internet forums encourage people to take their lives. According to one charity which works to prevent suicide, there have been 17 deaths in the UK since 2001 which involved chatrooms or sites which give advice on suicide methods.”
Whitrick had a very serious car accident in July 2006 and had never returned to full health, said his ex-wife, according to 24dash.com.
“An investigation into all the circumstances surrounding the death is continuing, but no-one else is being sought by police,” says the story.
Adds the Sunday Times, “There were tributes to him in the chat room yesterday under the heading ‘RIP Kevin’. One, from icemaiden 71, said: ‘Iââ¬â¢m a mate of his and I’m shocked.â⬠But another posting said: ‘I’m on the phone to the News of the World. Iââ¬â¢m going to make a buck on this.”
Also See:
Sunday Times – Get on with it, said net audience as man hanged himself on webcam, March 24, 2007
24dash.com – Man ‘hanged himself’ live on the web, March 24, 2007
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March 26th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Sorry, but I may be one of the few that cares. Wanna kill yourself then go for it if you’re so easily lead by someone in a chat room.
March 26th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I meant “doesn’t care”
March 26th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
what’s the problem here? last time i checked suicide wasn’t a crime.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Suice IS a crime in the US. Go figure. How is the ‘criminal’ going to be punished. As for people “inciting” someone to “go ahead and do it”; THAT is ALSO __DEFINITELY__ a crime and punishable by law of those who did the inciting. It falls under 3rd degree murder or assisted suicide or something like that.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
“The death has highlighted concerns that some PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT internet forums encourage people to take their lives…”
The issue here is PEOPLE, not internet forums.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:47 am
I thought the bloke hung his Second Life avatar.
March 27th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
what does US law have to do with this?