Russia launches official investigation into Blue Whale ‘suicide game’ after feared link to new double death of girls
RUSSIA has launched an official investigation into the Blue Whale “suicide game” after a feared link to two recent deaths.
Two girls died this week after they were hit by a freight train near Krasnoufimsk in the Urals.
The pair – named as Yulia Medvedeva, 13, and I. Gabdulkhakova, 15 – were hugging close to the rail line when they were hit by the engine and dragged down the track.
The driver slowed the train but could not avoid hitting them.
Yulia died at the scene, while the other girl was rushed to hospital – but doctors were unable to save her.
The two girls had deleted their social media accounts shortly before their deaths, it was reported.
BRAINWASHED INTO SUICIDE
Children at their school have been summoned for checks on their social media – especially for so-called “death groups”.
And authorities are understood to be probing the possibility the pair were involved in Blue Whale, or another similar challenge, Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.
The notorious Blue Whale has been linked to the deaths of dozens of young people in Russia and other countries in recent years.
But as of yet the Blue Whale game has not been proven to be directly responsible for any deaths.
Some have claimed the "game" is a myth, but others say it began as a hoax but then took on a life of its own on dark online forums.
Victims are “brainwashed” by sick online "mentors" to complete 50 challenges – involving exhaustion and self-harm – which culminate in suicide, reports have claimed.
The “mentors” are said to be teenagers or young adults, while victims are reportedly told to delete their social media accounts.
FOR KIDS: How to say no
It can sometimes be hard to stand up to your friends, so Childline offers the following tips on how to say no:
1) Say it with confidence:
Be assertive. It’s your choice and you don’t have to do something which makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
2) Try not to judge them:
By respecting their choices, they should respect yours.
3) Spend time with friends who can say ‘no’:
It takes confidence and courage to say no to your friends. Spend time with other friends who also aren’t taking part.
4) Suggest something else to do:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing what your friends are doing, suggest something else to do.
Any child worried about peer pressure or online worries can contact Childline on 0800 1111.
Checks are also underway in a two separate cases in Krasnoufimsk that saw “unconnected” teenagers Andrey Domorad, and Anna Serebrennikova, both 15, hang themselves in a disused building eight days apart.
Elsewhere in the Urals, the parents of Ksenia Torgashova, 16, who died in Yekaterinburg in late September fears that her daughter was a Blue Whale victim.
She had regularly started waking at 4.20am in the weeks before she died at this time, jumping from a high-rise building.
Sverdlovsk Ombudsman Igor Morokov said the social media history of the young people who died in Krasnoufimsk was being searched for suspicious sites.
He said: “This is a tragedy for the whole town.”
FOR PARENTS: How to talk about peer pressure
1) Create the right situation:
Make sure you both have time to talk, the atmosphere is relaxed, and remember that this is a conversation, not an interrogation.
2) Listen:
Avoid solely talking at them. Listen to their concerns and their experiences.
3) Acknowledge their worries:
Dismissing their feelings will only shut down the conversation and make them reluctant to talk about what’s bothering them.
4) Help them practise ways of saying no:
Rehearsing with them ways to stand up to peer pressure and coming up with alternatives for them will build their confidence.
5) Keep the conversation going:
Let them know that they can always come to you if they have more worries, and take an interest in how they get on saying “no”.
Any adult who wants advice on how to talk to their child about peer pressure can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.
An Interior Ministry source in Krasnoufimsk confirmed checks were underway among children in the town following the latest deaths.
A source said: "Checking children for death groups and other dangers on social networks is part of the professional responsibilities of class teachers.
“We also check the children who are put on our list, so this is not an emergency measure, but an ordinary situation.
“We recommend that parents pay attention to children's social networks.”
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Major-General Alexey Moshkov, head of anti-computer crime K department in the Russian Interior Ministry, has warned that in 2017 a total of 1,339 online suicide groups were uncovered, with an audience of more than 12,000 users and over 200,000 posts.
Investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that of 130 suicides of children in Russia between November 2015 and April 2016 almost all were "members of one group or other on the internet”.
He revealed 230 criminal cases had been opened and 19 masterminds - called "curators" or "administrators" - were detained.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
