Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

Leo Barber

Ref: 2025-0505 Date: 9 Oct 2025 Coroner: Edmund Gritt Area: South London 1 response identified · 1 indexed addressee View PDF

AI-generated concerns summaryThe coroner raised concerns about vulnerable individuals, including children in mental health crisis, accessing online material that reinforced a decision to end their life. Challenges in obtaining online data from service providers outside UK jurisdiction were also noted.

Date 9 Oct 2025

56-day deadline 4 Dec 2025 est. estimated from the report date

Responses identified 1 of 1

Child Death (from 2015) Railway related deaths Suicide (from 2015)

Coroner's concerns

AI summary

The coroner raised concerns about vulnerable individuals, including children in mental health crisis, accessing online material that reinforced a decision to end their life. Challenges in obtaining online data from service providers outside UK jurisdiction were also noted.

View full coroner's concerns

(1) A 16-year-old child in severe mental health crisis was able to access online material which reinforced his decision to end his life. He registered on the site using his Gmail address and accessed the material on his Android OS ‘phone. I am concerned that there is a risk of future deaths among those in mental health crisis including children while such material is accessible to vulnerable individuals online.

(2) In the course of my investigation, I issued a Schedule 5 notice to Ofcom to exercise its power under Section 101 of the Online Safety Act 2023 to obtain evidence from Google relating to Leo’s online activity before his death. No material was provided by Google under this procedure. I

understand that Google’s position is that the service provider holding such data (Google LLC) is not within the jurisdiction of England and Wales but is within the US jurisdiction and subject to the laws of the USA which prohibit compliance with my Schedule 5 notice under the Section 101 process. I express no view either way on any legal issue as to conflict of laws. As I noted, but for the happenstance that Leo’s parents were able to provide the police with Leo’s believed usernames and passwords, my investigation would have been frustrated and incomplete in respect of a matter of grave concern. The risk that future coronial investigations might be so frustrated does itself give rise to the risk of future deaths, in that coronial investigations cumulatively mitigate the risk of such deaths. I am therefore concerned that there is a risk of future deaths where vulnerable individuals in England and Wales may access potentially harmful online material from a service provider not within the jurisdiction of England and Wales (as opposed to a service provider within the jurisdiction of England and Wales which would be subject to the Section 101 coronial investigative process).

Responses

1 respondent

Google UK & Ireland

Other

Indexed date: 3 Dec 2025 PDF

AI-classified response stance Action Planned

AI-generated response summary

• Google Search maintains content policies and uses specialised ranking approaches to address suicide and self-harm content, including a UK-specific filter for known children. • Google stated it would not be able to comply with a formal notice under Section 101 of the Online Safety Act 2023 to provide user data, citing US law. • Google makes available an Inactive Account Manager tool, outlines channels for obtaining user data through US legal processes, and is engaging with Ofcom and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on these issues.

View full response

Dear Edmund Gritt, Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths - Leo Alexander Barber WerefertoyourReporttoPreventFutureDeathsdated9October2025(the“Report”).This letter is our formal response to your Report. We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic circumstances relating to the death of Leo Alexander Barber. We understandfromyourReportthat,priortohisdeathon28November 2023, Mr Barber accessed and used a website named “ ” (the “Site”). AtGoogle,safetyiscoretohowwedevelopandoperateourservices,andweunderstandour responsibility to keep users safe, while still ensuring the freeflowofinformation.Beforewe addresssection101oftheOnlineSafetyAct2023(the“OSA”)specifically,wewouldliketotake thisopportunitytosetoutGoogleSearch’sapproachtokeepingUKuserssafefromsuicideand self-harmcontent,asthisissomethingwetakeextremelyseriously,andisofcoursethesubject of specific provisions in the OSA. We hope this information is helpful although, for clarity, we note that your Report doesnot suggest that Mr Barber encountered the Site through search results on Google Search. In addition,whileyourReportindicatesthatMrBarberopenedanaccountontheSiteusinghis Gmailaddress,itistheprovideroftheSitealonethatdetermineswhocansignuptotheSite and access the material it hosts. Registered address: 1 St. Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8AG, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales with registration number 03977902

Google UK Limited 1 St. Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8AG, United Kingdom Suicide and self-harm content GoogleSearchservesasanindexofinformationontheopenweb.Whenanindividualentersa searchquery,itusesalgorithmstoreturnsearchresultslinkingtotherelevantwebpagesinthe index, ranked from most to least relevant. Inrelationtosuicideandself-harmcontent,GoogleSearchtakesacombinationofapproaches, including: ● maintainingcontentpoliciesandprohibitingpolicyviolativecontentinSearchfeatures. This includes, for example, prohibiting content in Search features that could directly facilitate serious and immediate harm to people; ● providing information and resources via hotline OneBoxes; ● providing specialised ranking approaches for suicide and self-harm queries; ● locking on SafeSearchandapplyingaUKspecificfilterforallknownchildrentohelp remove harmful content from search results; and ● otherwisecomplyingwithGoogleSearch’sobligationsundertheOSA,whichincluderisk assessment,searchmoderationandotherobligationsdesignedtokeepUKuserssafein respect of suicide and self-harm content. We note that people use Google Search for suicide andself-harm-relatedqueriesformany differentreasons,includinglookingforsupporttomanagetheirthoughtsinmomentsofcrisis,or seeking information as to how to support loved ones. We recognise how important it is to increaseawarenessaroundhelp-seekingbehaviours,whiledecreasingrisk-takingandreducing stigma.Wehavethereforedevelopedourapproachtosuicideandself-harmcontentthrough extensiveconsultationwithbothinternalandexternalexpertsinpsychology,mentalhealth,and related areas. These include not only academics and clinicians, but also practitioners who provide direct services to vulnerable populations. Weremaincommittedtocontinuallyimprovingourservicestopreventusersfromfindingand experiencing illegal and harmful content, while also providing users with authoritative information on wide-ranging topics. Section 101 of the OSA TheReportalsoreferstotheSchedule5noticeissuedtoOfcomtoexerciseitspowerunder section 101 of theOSAtoobtaininformationfromGoogleLLCregardingMrBarber’sonline activity prior to his death. Registered address: 1 St. Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8AG, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales with registration number 03977902

Google UK Limited 1 St. Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8AG, United Kingdom AscommunicatedtoOfcom,theentityprovidingGoogleservicestousersbasedintheUKis typicallyGoogleLLC,aUScompanyincorporatedinDelaware.Userdataisthereforecontrolled byGoogleLLCandsubjecttoUSlaws,includingtheUSFederalStoredCommunicationsAct (the“SCA”).Asyoumaybeaware,weinformedOfcomthatwewouldnotbeabletocomply with any formalnotice,ifonehadbeenissued,toprovidethisinformationbecausetheSCA prohibitstheproductionofstoredcontentabsentlimitedexceptions,whichwerenotconsidered to apply in this case. We recognise the value of coroners such as yourself having access to information that is relevant to an inquest. We also recognise the importance ofhavingfairandcompassionate policies in place to ensure that parents and appropriate representatives have access to informationconnectedtothedeathofalovedone.WeareengagingactivelywithOfcomand the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on these issues. Inthemeantime,tomitigatetheissue,wemakeavailableanInactiveAccountManagertool, whichallowsuserstodesignatethirdparties(suchasimmediatefamilymembers)toreceive partsoftheiraccountdataintheeventoftheirdeathorinactivity.Otherwise,userdatacanstill be obtained through the following channels: ● Forcriminalrequests,lawenforcementcanmakeuseofexistingchannelswiththeUS government,suchassubmittingarequestthroughtheUK-USMutualLegalAssistance Treaty or pursuant to the UK-US Cloud Act Agreement. ● Forcivilrequests,relativesoradministratorsofadeceased’sestatecanapplyforaUS courtorderallowingGoogletoproducethestoredcontentpursuanttoapplicablelaws. Family membersandrepresentativescancontactususingGoogle’spublicwebforms, andwesupportthembyofferingadirectchannelofcommunicationatthepointatwhich theyareeligibleforacourtorder,aswellasprovidingatemplatecourtorder.OnceaUS court order is obtained and shared with Google, we expeditiously process the order. If we can be of any further assistance on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours sincerely, Legal Department Google UK Limited Registered address: 1 St. Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8AG, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales with registration number 03977902

Report sections

Investigation and inquest

On 28th November 2023, a coronial investigation was commenced into the death of Leo Alexander Barber who was aged 16 years when he died on 28th November 2023. I assumed conduct of the coronial investigation in November 2024. The investigation concluded at the end of Leo’s inquest on 18th September 2025.

I recorded Leo’s medical cause of death as: 1a Multiple injuries. 1b Collision with train.

I recorded a short-form conclusion of: Suicide.

Circumstances of the death

In the summer and autumn of 2023, Leo suffered a severe deterioration in his mental health. He remained living at home with his family while under the care of crisis mental health services. At about 4am on 28th November 2023, unknown to his family, Leo left the house; he walked to nearby railway tracks and stepped in front of a fast-moving train.

Of relevance to this Report, I recorded on Leo’s Record of Inquest: “Leo’s actions were contributed to by his exposure to a website forum on which individuals exchange information as to methods of suicide.”

On the basis of evidence from Leo’s parents and from the police investigation, I made the following findings of fact (of relevance to this Report):

1. Using his Gmail address, on 26th August 2023 Leo opened an account on a website Insofar as the evidence I have heard, this website acts as a forum for people to discuss the methods of suicide. … those who post appear to share information as to the mechanics of how to end their lives. I did not see any postings of express incitement or direct encouragement that Leo should do end his life. And it would seem that he came to the site because he was already subject to suicidal ideation. But for an extremely vulnerable person such as Leo, it would provide an environment in which he might find collective approval for taking the step of ending his life and be reinforced in that step by that approval. It is notable that the posts responding to Leo’s 23rd November 2023 post (as to ending his life by being struck by a train) are discouraging as to the particular method but not as to any decision to end his life. Indeed, the post which referred to Leo’s “SI” – which I determine means ‘survival instinct’ – could very well have had a provocative effect in the sense that Leo felt he needed to overcome his ‘survival instinct’.

2. It is evident from the content of some of his posts that Leo had read material on the site (other than that in evidence) though there is no evidence of what that content was.

3. I conclude that Leo’s exposure to the website probably would have acted to reinforce his decision to end his life and as such contributed to causing his death.

Furthermore, I also noted that:

4. The police undertook an investigation of Leo’s online activity in the months before his death and were able to do so only because Leo’s parents were able to provide them with Leo’s believed usernames and passwords. Without that, my investigation would have been frustrated and incomplete in respect of a matter of grave concern.

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Report details

Reference: 2025-0505
Date of report: 9 October 2025
Coroner: Edmund Gritt
Coroner area: South London

Responses identified

Responses identified 1 of 1

All listed responses identified

Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 4 Dec 2025 (estimated from the report date).

Sent to

Google UK & Ireland

Source links

Judiciary.uk page → Report PDF →

Data: judiciary.uk.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.