Bereaved families across the UK are urgently calling for a public inquiry into what they describe as repeated failures by government and regulators to protect vulnerable people from online forums promoting suicide and facilitating the purchase of a deadly poison. The calls come in the wake of a new report from the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), which has revealed that at least 133 people in the UK have died in the past decade after ingesting a toxic chemical advertised on these forums. The victims, according to the report, are often young, with the youngest recorded at just 13 years old, and many having been known to local support services.
The campaign for accountability reached a new peak on October 20, 2025, when families who lost loved ones to the poison wrote directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a joint letter, they stated: “We write as families whose loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threat. This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.”
Pete Aitken, whose daughter Hannah died at 22 after purchasing the poison online, described the vulnerability of certain groups to Sky News: “Autistic people seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of sort of poison and, you know, wanting to take their lives.” Hannah, who was autistic and had ADHD, had been treated in six different mental health hospitals over a four-year period. Despite these interventions, she was able to buy a kilogram of the substance on the internet—an amount with the potential to cause hundreds of deaths, since just one gram can be fatal.
The MRF’s analysis, conducted in partnership with Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms, found that coroners have raised formal concerns about the poison and related online forums on at least 65 occasions since 2019. These warnings were sent to multiple government departments, including the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the Department of Health and Social Care. Yet, the families and their legal representatives argue, meaningful action has been lacking.
Lawyers from the Leigh Day firm, representing seven families, have also written to the Prime Minister, emphasizing that victims were often groomed online and that the youngest known victim was only 13. Their letter contends that only a statutory public inquiry can address the systemic failures and ensure that vulnerable individuals are protected in the future. As reported by BBC News, the letter highlights that “victims were groomed online, and tended to be in their early 20s, with the youngest known victim being 13.”
David Parfett, whose son Tom died by suicide in 2021, told BBC News that despite repeated expressions of sympathy from government officials, there has been no real accountability. “The people who host the suicide platforms to spread their cult-like messages that suicide is normal—and earn money from selling death—continue to be several steps ahead of government ministers and law enforcement bodies,” Parfett said. He added, “I can think of no better memorial for my son than knowing people like him are protected from harm while they recover their mental health.”
The MRF report also pointed to operational shortcomings, such as inconsistent police welfare checks and delays in making an antidote to the poison available to emergency services. Over half of the victims were known to local support services, underscoring missed opportunities for intervention. Furthermore, the report found that in every recorded case, the poison had been purchased online, sometimes through major platforms like Amazon and eBay. According to The Mirror, eBay stated, “This substance has been prohibited for sale on eBay globally since 2019. Since then, we have continued to strengthen our enforcement through block filter algorithms, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists.” Amazon, for its part, said, “We are committed to a safe shopping experience and require our selling partners to follow all applicable laws and regulations when listing items in our store. High concentrations [of this substance] are not intended for direct consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused.”
Despite these responses, families and campaigners argue that regulation and enforcement have been fragmented and slow. The Home Office has been criticized for refusing to tighten regulation of the substance, which remains easily obtainable online, and for failing to act decisively on repeated coroner warnings. According to the BBC, the government maintains that the poison is “closely monitored and is reportable under the Poisons Act,” requiring retailers to notify authorities if they suspect it is being bought for harm. However, campaigners contend that these measures have not been enough to prevent further deaths.
The media regulator Ofcom has also come under fire for what campaigners describe as reliance on “voluntary measures” from forum operators. The suicide forum at the center of the controversy is based in the US and, following enforcement action by Ofcom under the Online Safety Act (which became law in October 2023), implemented a geo-block for UK users in March 2025. Ofcom stated, “In response to our enforcement action, the online suicide forum put in place a geo-block to restrict access by people with UK IP addresses. Services that choose to block access by people in the UK must not encourage or promote ways to avoid these restrictions.” The forum remains on Ofcom’s watchlist, with an ongoing investigation to ensure the block is maintained. Yet, as The Mirror notes, the forum is still accessible in the UK via VPN, and campaigners argue that relying on voluntary compliance is insufficient.
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, summed up the frustration felt by many bereaved families: “This report paints clear how repeated failures of the State to protect its vulnerable citizens mean that the nihilistic potential of a suicide forum has cost countless lives. It is inexplicable that Ofcom has left the fate of a forum that exists to groom and coerce others to end their lives in its own hands rather than take swift and decisive action to legally shut it down in the UK. Nothing less than a public inquiry is now needed to learn the countless lessons and act on them to save lives.”
Government officials maintain that under the Online Safety Act, online services must prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and face robust enforcement, including substantial fines, if they fail. A spokesperson told Sky News, “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.” The position of the poison is “closely monitored and reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm.”
As the debate continues and the number of deaths linked to the poison grows, bereaved families and campaigners are united in their call for a public inquiry. They hope such an inquiry will not only provide answers but also prompt the decisive action needed to prevent more lives from being lost to what many see as an entirely preventable tragedy.
