The devastated family of a 12-year-old girl who died by suicide has called on social media giants to do more to protect children from harmful content online.
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who → devastate → content
Savannah Forbes died at her home in Gladstone, in central Queensland, on Tuesday shortly after sitting down with her family for a light-hearted dinner.
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Forbes → die → dinner
Detectives said they found distressing material on Savannah's phone as part of their investigation, according to The Courier Mail, including interactions with users discussing suicide and self-harm.
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they → say → suicide
Following the loss, her mother, Justine West, said the conversations were dangerous for a child her age and insisted more must be done to protect young Australians.
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more → follow → Australians
The social media giants have let down Savannah.
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giants → let → Savannah
How is that kind of conversation even allowed to stay on social media?' she told the Courier Mail.
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she → allow → Mail
'Savannah got caught up in a very dark world.
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Savannah → catch → world
Savannah was not in the mental health space to deal with it.'
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Savannah → deal → it
Ms West said the family was unaware of the severe content Savannah had been exposed to and her daughter had been upbeat during a family meal before her death.
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daughter → say → death
Savannah Forbes died at her home in Gladstone, with her mother, Justine West, saying social media platforms had failed her daughter
The 12-year-old's family have called on social media companies to do more to protect children from harmful content online
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family → die → content
She was excited about us going to buy make-up.
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us → go → up
She was beautiful and happy,' Ms West said.
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West → say → ?
Savannah's older sister, Aleasha West, said social media platforms such as TikTok have a darker side and warned children could be exposed to harmful content.
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children → say → content
'Savannah was pulled into that destructive side,' she said.
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she → pull → side
The family also said Savannah had been struggling with bullying and her behaviour had noticeably changed.
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behaviour → say → bullying
Concerned about her wellbeing, Savannah's mother took her to a GP, who referred her to CQ Psych Services, but she said there was a lengthy waiting list.
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she → take → Services
No urgent help when she needed it,' Ms West said.
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West → need → it
'Why are so many young kids dying this way?
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kids → die → ?
Despite Australia's social media age-restriction laws being introduced in the last year, Savannah was still able to access her accounts.
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Savannah → introduce → accounts
Savannah was still able to access her accounts on social media despite a ban in Australia for under-16 users
Savannah's family is now calling for greater protections for children online, particularly from content and conversations relating to self-harm.
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family → access → harm
The Daily Mail has contacted TikTok and CQ Psych Services for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
The social media platform provided the Courier Mail with details of how it maintains strong relationships with law enforcement agencies and continually improves its policies.
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it → provide → policies
TikTok deactivated more than 550,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 when the new laws came into effect.
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laws → deactivate → effect
The platform said it removes about 24,000 accounts each month that it suspects belong to underage users.
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it → say → users
Aleasha West has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to bring her sister's remains from Gladstone back to her hometown for 'the farewell she deserves, surrounded by the people and community who loved her'.
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who → set → her
'Our family is living through a pain we never imagined we would have to face.
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we → live → pain
Our beautiful 12 year old baby sister Savannah has tragically ended her life,' she said,
'She was our baby sister.
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She → end → life
A daughter, a sister, a friend, and a little girl who had her whole entire life ahead of her.
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who → have → her
'The day we lost her was, without a doubt, the worst day of our lives.
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we → lose → lives
There are simply no words for the pain of knowing she won't get to grow up, experience all the things she should have experienced, or become the young woman she was meant to be.'
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she → be → things
Queensland Police said officers in Gladstone would prepare a report for the coroner following the non-suspicious death of a child on September 29.
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officers → say → September
The Aporia
