London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Frankie Thomas: Bereaved parents call for action on harmful content

Frankie Thomas: Bereaved parents call for action on harmful content

The parents of a teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful online content while at school have said what happened was a "catastrophic failure".

Frankie Thomas, 15, died at home in Witley, Surrey, in September 2018, after viewing self-harm material.

In a report sent to the Education Secretary, a coroner said action must be taken to prevent future deaths.

Judy and Andy Thomas said: "Frankie was not safe at school... There must not be any complacency."

The government said schools had a legal duty to keep pupils safe and "groundbreaking" new laws would make sure tech companies prevent children from accessing harmful material.

'Extremely dangerous'


At the conclusion of an inquest into Frankie's death in October, Surrey Assistant Coroner Karen Henderson recorded a suicide verdict.

The inquest was told Frankie, who had autism, had access to a laptop and iPad at Stepping Stones School in Hindhead, and that her mother had asked staff to monitor her activity.

During the inquest, former head teacher Melissa Farnham said a filter provided by an external IT company could not have been working.

Frankie had used a platform called Wattpad, where users can write and share stories. The last piece she read mirrored the method she used to take her own life.

In a statement in October, Stepping Stones said it was devastated by Frankie's death and had been "proactive in implementing new and highly robust e-safety measures".

The coroner criticised Frankie's school, the Department for Education and the online platform Wattpad in her ruling


In her report, Ms Henderson said schools were using a wide range of software with "inadequate regulatory oversight and outdated guidance".

She said that "action should be taken to prevent future deaths".

Mr and Mrs Thomas said: "Frankie was not safe at school. The internet can be an extremely dangerous place, particularly for those with special educational needs like Frankie and what happened to her was a catastrophic failure.

"There must not be any complacency."

A spokesperson from the Education department said: "This tragic case highlights the vital importance of protecting children, particularly the most vulnerable, from harmful content online.

"Schools have a legal duty to keep pupils safe and our statutory safeguarding guidance sets out in detail how we expect them to protect pupils from potentially harmful online material.

"This government's Online Safety Bill will deliver groundbreaking new laws which make sure tech companies prevent children from accessing self-harm and suicide content which risks causing them harm."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Great Western Exit: Why Best Citizens Are Fleeing the Rich World [PODCAST]
The New Robber Barons of Intelligence: Are AI Bosses More Powerful Than Rockefeller?
The End of the Old Order [Podcast]
Britain’s Democracy Is Now a Costume
The AI Gold Rush Is Coming for America’s Last Open Spaces [Podcast]
The Pentagon’s AI Squeeze: Eight Tech Giants Get In, Anthropic Gets Shut Out [Podcast]
The War Map: Professor Jiang’s Dark Theory of Iran, Trump, China, Russia, Israel, and the Coming Global Shock [Podcast]
Labour Is No Longer a National Party [Podcast]
AI Isn’t Stealing Your Job. It’s Dismantling It Piece by Piece.
Lawyers vs Engineers: Why China Builds While America Litigates [Podcast]
Churchill’s Glass: The Drunk, the Doctor, and the Myth Britain Refuses to Sober Up From
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
Kennedy’s Quiet War on Antidepressants Sparks Alarm Across America’s Medical Establishment
The Met Gala Meets the Age of Billionaire Backlash
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Gunfire Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Trump Is Evacuated
A Leak, a King, and a Fracturing Alliance
Inside the Gates Foundation Turmoil: Layoffs, Scrutiny, and the Cost of Reputational Risk
UK Biobank Breach Exposes Health Data of 500,000, Listed for Sale on Chinese Platform
KPMG Cuts Around 10% of US Audit Partners After Failed Exit Push
French Police Probe Suspected Weather-Data Tampering After Unusual Polymarket Bets on Paris Temperatures
CATL Unveils Revolutionary EV Battery Tech: 1000 km Range and 7-Minute Charging Ahead of Beijing Auto Show
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
×