Warning sent out to Sheffield schools over live video stream of child's suicide

Sheffield secondary schools and colleges have been warned by education chiefs over a viral video showing a 12-year-old girl taking her own life.
Education chiefs have sent out a warning to Sheffield secondary schools and collegesEducation chiefs have sent out a warning to Sheffield secondary schools and colleges
Education chiefs have sent out a warning to Sheffield secondary schools and colleges

Sheffield secondary schools and colleges have been warned by education chiefs over a viral video showing a 12-year-old girl taking her own life.

Two students from an unnamed Sheffield secondary were seen watching the footage and school management approached Sheffield Council's education safeguarding advisers for advice.

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It's understood the video, originating from Georgia in the US, was streamed through Facebook Live and further copies were obtained from other websites.The police were notified and steps are being taken to try and remove the video.

The Star has seen an email from one school alerting parents to the video and its contents and said it has taken steps to make sure the footage could not be accessed inside the premises.

The footage, from 30 December, 2016, shows 12-year-old Katelyn Davis hanging herself in her family's front yard.

Sheffield Council spokesman said: “A school contacted our education safeguarding advisers about two of their pupils who had watched the disturbing footage believed to have originated from the US on their mobile phones.

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"The school has alerted the police and steps are being taken to remove the video. The safeguarding service immediately sent out a safeguarding alert to every school and college in Sheffield so that they could provide support and advice to pupils and their parents.

"This is a practice we have adopted in Sheffield to enable us to quickly alert schools to any safeguarding risks and concerns.

“Online safety is a priority for us. All our schools and colleges in Sheffield have access to free online safety training that includes sessions on how to deliver both parent and staff workshops.

"We also encourage all parents to stay alert to their children’s activity on the internet, ensure they set the appropriate security settings and to talk openly to their children about the risks and dangers alongside the obvious positive benefits of the internet."

If you are depressed and need to ask for help, call Samaritans on 116123 or Childline on 0800 1111.