Boy, 15, who killed himself looked up suicide methods on school computers after becoming ‘obsessed’ with cult online horror game Doki Doki Literature Club
- Ben Walmsley, 15, hanged himself after trying to look up suicide methods online
- Inquest heard he made internet searches on ways to end his life while in school
- Searches were blocked by the security firewall but were not flagged to teachers
- Friends told police he was ‘obsessed’ with a cult horror game called Doki Doki Literature Club, but inquest heard no evidence linking the game with self-harm
Ben Walmsley, 15, from Radcliffe in Bury, Manchester, was found dead in February
A 15-year-old boy hanged himself after looking up suicide methods on school computers, an inquest heard.
Ben Walmsley made internet searches on ways to end his life while in lessons in the weeks before his death, Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard.
The searches were blocked by the security firewall at his school, Philips High School in Whitefield, Greater Manchester.
But it was not until after his death, and an IT upgrade, that searches about suicide now automatically generate ‘trigger’ emails to teachers to investigate, the inquest into the youngster’s death heard.
Headteacher Tina Owen told the inquest the school’s IT security blocks around 12,000 internet searches each day that are deemed ‘inappropriate’ at the 900-pupil school.
Ms Owen said the only way previously of monitoring a pupil’s internet searches was if the school had worries over a pupil or the child was seen as a particular risk – then pastoral care could investigate what the pupil had been looking at.
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And the inquest heard while the 15-year-old had a ‘number of complexities’ and previously had counselling in school, no-one thought him at risk of suicide.
Joanne Kearsley, Senior Coroner for Manchester North, said she would write to the Department of Education as schools should have the ability to access and look at a pupil’s search history.
The inquest heard Ben was found by his father at their home in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, on the afternoon of February 4 this year.
Ben’s father said he believes the ‘dark’ Doki Doki Literature Club game ‘dragged his son in’
Friends later told police he had become ‘obsessed’ with a cult horror game called Doki Doki Literature Club, which he played online.
The game, which is free to download and comes with a warning saying it should not be played by children or people easily offended, features teenage cartoon characters, relationship breakdown, self-harm and suicide.
The hearing was told the video game which was developed by American designer Dan Salvato for Microsoft Windows was ‘critically acclaimed’ and been called one of the 25 top games of 2017.
The story follows a male high school student who joins a Literature Club and interacts with its four female members but the theme grows darker when contestants choose their own endings.
Ben who attended St Phillips Secondary School in Whitefield where he excelled in maths and art began playing the game and created a profile on the Doki Doki game in the name of a non-existent girl called Ruby but fellow pupils reported him developing ‘low moods.’
Det Insp Michael Gladwin who investigated the tragedy told the Heywood inquest: ‘It’s not an underground game – lots of people have downloaded it. It does come with health warnings which are ‘this is a game that shouldn’t be played by children or those who are easily offended.
‘It’s about forming relationships and it clearly would appeal to people in their teenage years in my opinion. The relationships are formed by the player, and it’s unique selling point is it breaks the fourth dimension, so the player has control over how the game concludes.
‘As the game progresses, the game becomes more sinister with self-harming and characters taking their own lives in some scenarios. There is something in the game which refers to Ruby, but I couldn’t say if she one of the characters.
WHAT IS THE DOKI DOKI LITERATURE CLUB?
The Doki Doki Literature Club features four animated young girls and a boy who wants to join a school literature club with them.
Described as a ‘visual novel’, the story follows a male high school student who joins a school’s Literature Club and interacts with its four female members.
Players read the game’s story and are prompted to create their own endings.
It was developed in 2017 by game producers, Salvato, and is believed to have been downloaded more than two million times in the first four months.
While its creators say it is ‘100% free to play’ it adds users ‘are welcome to contribute any amount’ if they wish and will be rewarded with a fan pack.
There are alternative endings depending on choices made during the course of the game.
It features graphic references and images of violence, suicide and self-harm, mental health issues, voices in the characters’ heads, and scenes including a player’s neck snapping.
The game carries a warning in bold online which reads: ‘This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.’
‘There was no evidence that Ben linked his self-harm to this game, but it was something that was mentioned by his friends who were aware of this game. One friend said that Ben was happy, but then became low after he started playing this game.
‘There’s no link to say he took his own life because of the game, but there are themes of [a low mood] that a lot people have said came from the game.’
Ben’s father Darren Walmsley said most of his son’s social time was spent online, though he would encourage him to go out with friends and he had in the past challenged his son about self-harm – but he denied it.
His mother, Jessica Bodlovic, said since her son’s death she was aware he had been playing the Doki Doki game regularly.
But the inquest heard there was no evidence to link Ben playing the game with self-harm or suicide, but it was ‘quite right’ this was investigated.
Ben had also sent messages over Snapchat to a friend asking: ‘Why am I here?’ said David Mellor, an independent safeguarding consultant who conducted a serious case review for Bury Safeguarding Children Board.
Mr Mellor said there were a ‘number of issues’ worrying the youngster, including the breakdown of his parent’s marriage and their subsequent divorce.
And the inquest heard Ben had had counselling for seven months at school, which ended six months before his death, but neither his family nor his GP had been made aware by the counselling services.
Mr Mellor said various agencies, including his school and mental health services, had dealings with him, but added: ‘No one had all the pieces of the jigsaw.’
Coroner Ms Kearsley, who recorded a verdict of suicide, added: ‘Ben was not an individual who anyone, including his family, recognised as being of risk of self harm. He was not constantly talking about suicide or self harm.
‘But the evidence we have heard now indicates, with the benefit of hindsight, that Ben was a young man who potentially had a number of complexities.
‘He was making, in very subtle ways, an intention to potentially end his life, for example searches he was doing on the internet.
‘This whole process seems to have escalated in the months leading up to his death.’
- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see Samaritans.org for details
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