Mum who watched son die feels 'extremely let down' by Ofcom

A mother who watched her son die in front of her says she is "disappointed" and feels "extremely let down" after Ofcom said it could take no further action against an online suicide forum.

Anna Nikolin-Caisley's son, Vlad, was 17 years old when he took his own life in 2024. She believes he was "encouraged" by users of an online group.

The forum, linked to more than 130 UK deaths, has blocked access for the "vast majority of users in the UK", according to Ofcom, but those able to hide their location could still possibly visit the site.

Ofcom said it had exhausted all its legal powers under the Online Safety Act and it was working with the government to see where its powers could be strengthened.

Warning: The following article contains upsetting content

Anna, from Southampton, said: "I feel extremely let down. I witnessed my son's death in front of me, it was a distressing and horrific death."

Bereaved families were briefed by Ofcom, ahead of its announcement on Monday, the same day as Andy Burnham entered Downing Street as prime minister.

"We were promised so much with the Online Safety Act and the imposed fine but they can't do anything more," said Anna.

She said Ofcom had been "challenged by all" of the victims' families but "whatever was asked, we were told it was outside their remit".

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She explained families had been involved in discussions with Ofcom as part of its investigation, but she felt it had been a "waste of time".

She added Ofcom was "leading a lot of families along and just leading us nowhere".

"Ofcom was so blunt saying 'it is outside of our control'.

"Our children are not statistics, their lives matter.

"Nothing is going to get our children back but we will do anything to prevent further deaths."

Highlighting the "immeasurable heartbreak" inflicted by the "predators" behind the forum, Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said: "We have the utmost respect for the tireless efforts of bereaved families seeking justice and better protections for others, and we're grateful for their help during our investigation.

"We've used the powers we've been granted to the fullest extent possible, which has resulted in blocking this site for the vast majority of users in the UK.

"We recognise this may not bring closure for bereaved families but it will help protect people in the UK in the future. We'll continue to monitor the forum closely to check the geoblock remains in place."

Ofcom is also reviewing powers that would allow it to apply for a court order requiring internet providers to block access to a site in the UK.

Anna believes the Online Safety Act is "not fit for purpose" and does not go far enough to protect vulnerable people.

She also questioned the geoblock and highlighted the need for more powers to allow Ofcom to act when sites were not based in the UK.

"The act is some sort of lip service for families to make them feel safe," she said.

She said she was now dedicating her life to protecting others: "They are caught in unhealthy online spaces and they don't know how to get out.

"We are talking about protecting children, vulnerable minors, from falling into the hands of predators."

A government spokesperson said: "We know the devastating impact that dangerous services like these can have, and our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones as a result of this type of illegal content.

"These sites have no place in the UK.

"We will continue to work closely with Ofcom to ensure enforcement powers remain fit for purpose and to keep the situation under review.

"Any platform that seeks to get around the rules will face the full force of the law."

Ofcom added that "tackling the devastating harm caused by this forum requires a coordinated effort from law enforcement, policy-makers, regulators and companies across the tech industry".

It added it was exploring a number of options to protect people and that following its investigation, major search engines had removed links to the forum.

It recognised "geoblocks do not fully eliminate all risk of harm".

Ofcom fined the forum's provider £950,000 for breaching its duties under the UK's online safety laws, but this has not been paid, despite a 12 June deadline.

The watchdog is now pursuing recovery of the debt but this may be complex as the provider is not based in the UK.

In June, the former Technology Secretary asked Ofcom to publish a clear enforcement strategy and report annually to Parliament on how the strategy was progressing.