Suicide pact through an Internet forum

Three young French people, one man and two women aged between 18 and 23 were saved at the last minute after a failed suicide pact and all ended up in hospital.

They had never met in real life before and planned their collective act through an internet forum. They came together on Wednesday 21 May in a deserted part of the forest of Mormal, northern France where they adapted their car to suffocate them after taking tablets. One girl changed her mind part way through and hitched a ride to hospital and the other two were found unconscious in the morning by forestry workers.

Once details emerged of their plans and how they had used the forum, the Avesnes-sur-Helpe court quickly demanded that the part of the site which enabled the discussion of suicide should be closed, which was done on Friday 23rd.

By the following Monday night however, the counsel for the prosecution Bernard Beffy had expressed the opinion that there was insufficient evidence pointing to the site inciting people to commit suicide and that legal action would not be forthcoming.

Indeed, researchers from the Voix du Nord newspaper found overwhelming evidence that exchanges about suicide on the site tried to bring those contemplating suicide to reason as opposed to encouraging them to carry out such a final act.

Whilst many newspapers took up the original story which featured the closing of the site from the French press agency (AFP), only a few like La Voix du Nord followed this up with the latest information that the site probably did more good than harm. This was also syndicated but few seemed to publish this.

Inevitably, a number of bloggers commented that such sites should not be allowed, furthering the sensationalism that accompanies any negative views of the internet.