Ask.fm apologises in wake of ‘web bullying’ death
A Latvian social networking site which allows users to post anonymously on people’s pages has apologised following the suicide of one of its members who had been a target of abuse.
Hannah Smith from Leicestershire was found hanged on Friday after receiving a number of messages telling her to die, prompting an angry response from her father and commentators.
In a statement the social networking site said: "Hannah Smith's death is a tragedy; we would like to convey our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
"We have reached out to Leicestershire police and would be happy to co-operate with their investigation into the circumstances.
"Ask.fm actively encourages our users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying, either by using the in-site reporting button, or via our contact page.
"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our terms of service."
It is just the latest instance of so called ‘cyber bullying’ to hit the headlines and has prompted 10,000 people to sign an e-petition calling for new safeguards to be introduced for sites used by children.