Molly Russell inquest delayed to ensure social media posts handled ‘sensitively’

Coroner says evidence must provide safeguards for authors of material accessed by teenager before her death

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell was delayed by legal discussions on Tuesday as the coroner raised concerns about protecting people whose social media posts appear at the hearing.

The teenager, from Harrow in north-west London, took her own life in November 2017 after viewing content including posts linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.