Abraham Biggs kills himself online
p2pnet news view | P2P:- With the Net-related suicides of Megan Meier, a group of British teenagers and the death of Kevin Whitrick, who hanged himself while Net users watched, in the background, “The father of a college student whose suicide was broadcast live over a webcam said Saturday he was appalled by the virtual audience that egged on his son,” says the Washington Post.
“Abraham Biggs Sr. said those who watched and the Web site operators share some blame in his 19-year-old son’s death.”
Police found Abraham Biggs jnr, “dead in his father’s bed Wednesday, 12 hours after he first declared on the Web site for bodybuilders that he planned to take his own life,” says the story.
“He took a fatal drug overdose in front of an Internet audience. Although some viewers contacted the Web site to notify police, authorities did not reach his house in time.”
A teenager, “invites people to watch him commit suicide over the Internet,” says the Montreal Gazette, continuing:
“Hundreds log on and watch. Some of them urge him on, laughing at him, calling him ‘faggot’ and ‘coward’.”
But by the time Florida police were alerted, Biggs was dead, says the story.
Technically, “the problem with sites such as YouTube or Justin.tv, the site where Biggs’ suicide was shown, is that with millions of videos uploaded, it’s just not possible for administrators to know what is being shown,” it states, adding:
“They have to rely on viewers notifying them, or authorities such as police, when a traumatic event appears to be taking place. But as the Biggs case so tragically shows, all viewers cannot be relied upon to do the right thing. Or, if we want to put the best face on it, a surprising number of viewers don’t seem able to realize that something terrible is happening right in front of their eyes.
“As a means of communication, the Internet is impersonal. Users are often each alone in a room staring at a screen, not knowing if what they’re watching is real or simulated – and there have been fake suicides.
“We should be careful about blaming those who reacted slowly to Biggs’s plan.”
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Megan Meier – Megan Meier Net suicide trial, November 21, 2008
British teenagers – Surge of UK ‘online’ teen suicides, January 23, 2008
Washington Post – Father appalled by virtual audience to son’s death, November 23, 2008
Montreal Gazette – Online suicide is tragic, but don’t blame Internet, November 23, 2008
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November 24th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Sad
May he rest in Peace
November 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
actually, according to the globe and mail, moderators of the bodybuilders forum he frequented (and in fact, advertised his suicide on) and several other members alerted police before the stream happened.
However, the globe and mail beleives that they had Biggs address because they could see his IP address, which is false. The only person who knows the address is the ISP. With the IP address, you might be able to find out what town he lives in, but not the exact address.
According to the globe and mail, they entered not long after he died, and covered the camera. Police were “plain-clothed” officers, and wore merely a side-arm. In the picture in the globe and mail, taken directly from the video stream, it shows an officer with his hand on his gun, although for no reason…
November 25th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Adam: the officer has his hand on his gun because if Biggs was still alive, suicidal people will do anything to die. The officer was making sure that his gun was not grabbed and that no one would be in danger.
November 26th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Don’t people get it?? That young man was reaching out for help. The fact that he published a suicide letter for all to see with an invitation to his suicide was another cry for help. I’m sure there were other cries for help to the people he knew that did not pay attention or take him seriously. HE WAS IN PAIN – MENTAL PAIN. It is serious and in serious cases uncontrollable. The humans in his life failed him. Would those same people sit back and watch a Physically injured person near death and do nothing? I think most likely there would be a different outcome. What makes people think that his pain was less significant and should be dismissed. It’s the stigma that if its mental and can’t be acknowledged with physical symptoms you can’t relate to it so it doesn’t count. You think they are just ‘crazy’ but they are HURTING TERRIBLY. Anyone who is even thinking of ending their own life is in terrible distress. The people closest to him knew of his intentions. I’m sure of it. The fact that he went to the lengths that he did was because nobody paid attention and he wanted to make sure someone did. It’s a terrible shame. That boy could have had a life with the right help. It sickens me to see all his ‘friends’ on his memorial page stating RIP that had blinders on when he was alive and needed them.
November 26th, 2008 at 6:37 am
It’s Time To Go
When the pain is more than you can take
And it starts the moment you awake
It’s Time To Go
When you can’t smile anymore
And everything is an unbearable chore
It’s Time To Go
When Life is a struggle everyday
And you can’t get a break along the way
It’s Time To Go
When you look forward to dying everyday
What’s the use in staying around anyway
It’s Time To Go
When you’re alone and hurting and no matter what you say
People ignore you anyway
It’s Time To Go
When you can’t see physical pain
it is not considered important
but
I’m bleeding from the heart and it’s fatal
and
No one cared to take it seriously.