Queensland family urges social media firms to protect children after 12-year-old’s suicide
Savannah Forbes, aged 12, died by suicide at her home in Gladstone, Queensland, on 29 September, shortly after an upbeat family dinner. Police found distressing material on her phone containing conversations about suicide and self-harm, prompting her family to call on social media companies to do more to protect children from such harmful online content.
Savannah appeared happy during the family meal but had been struggling with bullying, and her behaviour had noticeably changed. Her mother sought help from a GP who referred her to mental health services, but faced a lengthy waiting list. Despite Australia introducing social media age-restriction laws banning users under 16, Savannah was still able to access her accounts. TikTok reported deactivating over 550,000 underage accounts when the laws came into effect and removes approximately 24,000 suspected underage accounts each month.
- Twelve-year-old Savannah Forbes died by suicide after exposure to online self-harm content and discussions.
- Her family blames social media platforms for failing to adequately protect vulnerable children online.
- Age-restriction laws existed but were not effective in preventing her account access.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Savannah, 12, took her own life after an upbeat family dinner. Her devastated mum says social media giants ‘let her down’”.