Devastated Ian Russell told how 14-year-old Molly died after viewing scores of social media images glorifying self-harm and suicide
THE grieving dad of a schoolgirl who took her life has accused Instagram of "helping" kill her.
Heartbroken Ian Russell told how 14-year-old Molly died after viewing scores of images glorifying self-harm and suicide.
She was found dead just hours after handing in her homework - and packing a schoolbag for the next day.
Her devastating suicide note wrote: "I'm sorry. I did this because of me."
Molly - who went to Hatch End High School in Harrow, Middlesex - had started viewing the disturbing posts without her family's knowledge.
Ian told the BBC: "I have no doubt that Instagram helped kill my daughter. She had so much to offer and that's gone"
"She seemed to be a very ordinary teenager. She was future-looking. She was enthusiastic.
"She handed her homework in that night. She packed her bags and was preparing to go to school the next day and then when we woke up the next morning, she was dead."
There were accounts from people who were depressed or self-harming or suicidal.
One haunting image shows a blindfolded girl hugging a teddy bear, captioned "This world is so cruel, and I don't wanna to see it any more."
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost - to suicide.It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet, it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun has launched the You're Not Alone campaign, to remind anyone facing a tough time, grappling with mental illness or feeling like there's nowhere left to turn, that there is hope.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others. You're Not Alone.
For a list of support services available, please see the Where To Get Help box below.
Mr Russell - who directed the BBC coverage of the Queen's 90th birthday service - said Molly had access to "quite a lot of content" that sparked concern.
He said: "Quite a lot of that content was quite positive. Perhaps groups of people who were trying to help each other out, find ways to remain positive to stop self-harming.
"But some of that content is shocking in that it encourages self-harm, it links self-harm to suicide and I have no doubt that Instagram helped kill my daughter.
"The posts on those sites are so often black and white, they're sort of fatalistic. [They say] there's no hope, join our club, you're depressed, I'm depressed, there's lots of us, come inside this virtual club."
Instagram's guidelines say posts should not "glorify self-injury" while phrases such as "self harm" bring up a warning - but users are able to view the pictures after ignoring the message.
An Instagram spokesperson said: "Our thoughts go out to Molly's family and anyone dealing with the issues raised in this report.
"We do not allow content that promotes or glorifies eating disorders, self-harm or suicide and work hard to remove it. However, for many young people, discussing their mental health journey or connecting with others who have battled similar issues, is an important part of their recovery.
"This is why we don't remove certain content and instead offer people looking at, or posting it, support when they might need it most."
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or visit ’s website.
