Inquest reopened into death of 14-year-old boy after TikTok ‘blackout challenge’
Summary
The high court in England and Wales has reopened the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Jools Sweeney, who died after taking part in a TikTok “blackout challenge.” The court ruled that social media evidence, which was not examined in the original inquest, must be included in the new inquiry.Key Facts
- Jools Sweeney died in April 2022 at age 14 in Gloucestershire.
- His parents believe TikTok’s “blackout challenge” was involved in his death.
- The original inquest in 2022 lasted only 23 minutes and did not include social media evidence.
- The high court ordered a new inquest to review social media data from Jools’ phone.
- A private analysis showed signs of TikTok overuse or addiction by Jools.
- Jools’ mother helped pass “Jools’ Law,” requiring tech firms to save a deceased child's online data within five days.
- TikTok and its parent company are being sued by Jools’ family and other parents in the U.S.
- Legal experts say current investigations do not adequately address the role of social media in youth deaths.
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