Girl, 12, streams her own suicide on social media for 20 minutes after being ‘sexually abused by a relative’ – and cops are powerless to take it down
Cops say they have asked websites to remove the video of Katelyn Nicole Davis's death but admit they are unable to do more
A HORRIFIC video of a 12-year-old girl hanging herself after alleging she was abused by a relative has been streamed across the internet on social media.
The video has gone viral and is now being replayed on Facebook and other websites - and cops say they are powerless to stop it.
In the video, Katelyn Nicole Davis claims she was physically and sexually abused by a relative then lets the camera roll as she hangs herself in her back garden.
Katelyn, a student at Cedartown Middle School in Polk County, Georgia, US, broadcast it on social media on December 30 but it was later removed from her page.
It was later posted on other websites, including Facebook.
According to reports, the 20-minute video was filmed in her backyard and played out as a woman's voice was heard calling her name in the distance.
Polk County police department has been inundated with requests from people as far away as Britain to get versions being shared online taken down.
Police chief Kenny Dodd told that he was first contacted about the video by an officer from California who saw it on the night of her death.
He said Polk County cops had contacted several sites and urged them to take it down, but they had refused.
He added: "We want it down as much as anyone for the family and it may be harmful to other kids. We contacted some of the sites.
"They asked if they had to take it down and by law they don’t. But it’s just the common decent thing to do in my opinion."
According to , a police investigation had been launched three days prior to her death regarding accusations of sexual abuse she had made in her diary.
Detectives are now working towards gaining search warrants so they can access her phone and social media, the website reported.
An NSPCC spokesman told The Sun Online: "This video must be taken down immediately and we are pressing social media sites to get this done as soon as possible. In this instance warnings of graphic content do not go far enough.
"Every child should be safe to use the internet without seeing harmful content, and children who are contemplating self-harm or suicide should be directed towards support and help rather than graphic and distressing content.
"This video highlights the urgent need for the law to protect children from unsuitable and harmful content, including violence and self-harm, through removing or blocking content and online age verification measures."
Katelyn's suicide is not the first time horrific events have played out on live streaming services.
Earlier this month a mother-of-two collapsed and died from heart problems while she was broadcast singing on Facebook Live.
And last month a dinner party broadcast on the software took a horrific turn when it captured a banker's assistant accidentally shooting his friend.
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