Charge threat on web ‘suicide’
Monday 26th March 2007, 3:23PM BST.
Detectives and crown prosecutors are to consider criminal charges related to the apparent internet suicide of Shropshire father-of-two Kevin Whitrick.
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Mr Whitrick, from Wellington, was watched by about 100 people in an internet chatroom as he suggested he was going to harm himself.
Just minutes later they watched in horror as he apparently hanged himself.
Detectives leading the investigation said today they would be discussing Mr Whitrick’s death with the Crown Prosecution Service.
The discussions with prosecutors follow claims that Paltalk chatroom users who were talking to Mr Whitrick and watched his death could be quizzed by police after they allegedly incited him to hang himself.
Other reports suggest that the people who are believed to have encouraged him to kill himself could face manslaughter charges.
Police refused to comment on this today but confirmed the Crown Prosecution Service would be involved.
Rachel Anstee, spokeswoman for West Mercia Police said: “Detectives are looking at all aspects of the inquiry and it is still very early days.
“The police have still got people to talk to in connection with Mr Whitrick’s death and we have still got to sit down with the Crown Prosecution Service to discuss the incident.”
Horrified chatroom members phoned 999 to tell police where Mr Whitrick lived.
Officers tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at his flat in Orleton Court on Wednesday.
Tributes have flooded in to both the Paltalk website, of which Mr Whitrick was believed to be a regular user, and the Shropshire Star website.
Detectives have also urged people to stop sending the image of Mr Whitrick hanging from the ceiling around the world and said the image, also printed in national newspapers, had left his young family “distraught”.
An inquest is expected to be opened this week.
Anybody with any information is urged to contact detectives on 08457 444 888.
By Kirsty Marston
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If any person encouraged this Kevin to carry out this act, should be brought before the courts and held accountable for their actions.
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Where on earth were the moderators when all this was going on? They should also be held accountable!
I do think that if people were goading him on, they should be held accountable for it – yes they will have to live with that guilt for the rest of their days but they should have tried to intervene and get help instead of abusing the poor man and mocking him! The individuals concerned should be deeply ashamed of themselves!
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I did not see this, but I heard through the media. I do not actually believe that they should be reprimanded for ‘inciting’ as, he was a father of two and should have known when to turn off his computer. Its not like they held a gun to his head. Worse bullying is in schools.
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I’m sorry but I don’t follow this story at all. If some random person sent me an email telling me to kill myself, I’m pretty darn sure I wouldn’t go ahead and do it… I don’t see how you can blame people on a computer… yes people who are actually in the room, that is believable, but people whose only form of contact with you is on a screen in the corner of your room?
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the people who encouraged this should be put befor the courts and let the judge deside what to do with u.as it seems to me that they are the ones who are sick
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So if I tell someone to buy a lottery ticket and they win I’m entitled to some of the money. People make there own decisions.
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No-One actually encouraged him!
The comments that have been made were not, and would not have been made if the threat was rated as “serious” at that moment. I know that room very well, and I knew Kevin quite well. Trust me on this… HE was NOT “convinced” to hang himself, and as before he actually “comitted the act” people were on the phone to try and find out where exactly he lived, and dispatched the police.
Before you make Blanket comments, come into the room for a while.. or ask any “regulars” just how many tears were shed, how many of us are slowly coming out of shock, and how many of us are devestated as to what happened. We have ALL lost a friend, and are grieving.
The tragedy that happened cannot be reversed.
http://www.web4malta.com/r1 is where we go to leave our condolences.. have a look, and then tell me if we are “monsters” or “sicko’s”
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i think its pathetic. absolutely pathetic that this stupid world always needs someone to blame! at the end of the day kevin knew exactly what he was doing….i notice you dont mention half the facts….like for instance that kevin actually had his speakers turned down and could not hear anyone telling him what to do. Also u fail to mention that alot of people were screamin at him not to do it. were not sick people in this chat room we are ordanary people. this room is a wind up room.
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I have been in that chat room with Kevin, the place is an insult room where people insult each other. I am certain that nobody intended any harm to come to Kevin.
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I have been a user of paltalk for a no of years. And In all these years i’ve never been so discusted. 99%of the rooms, and 99% of users use this programme as it’s meant to be. Like with what happened with MSN it closed it’s chat rooms down because of the small minority have to spoil it for others.
I’ve been an Admin in rooms and I can asure these people could have used controls to maybe stop this from discusting tragady acureing, in the way of RED DOTTING, or BOUNCING his poor man from this foul room. Maybe just maybe this man might still be alive today, if it wasn’t from these sick users of paltalk.
My thoughts and wishes go to the family and friends of Mr Whitrick. And i’m sure 99% of users of paltalk agree with me. Please donot blame Paltalk for this, I think if anything the room should be closed down.And the small amount of people that use this discusting room be banned from paltalk for life.
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unfortunately knowing kevin, i was unfortunately sent the pictures of this :’( and can vouch for people egging him on.
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Why do you think that? Telling someone to do something isn’t a crime. While it’s sad that he actually carried out the actions, other people can’t be held accountable for the things he did. You can just go through life blaming all your problems on other people and expecting them to take the blame for everything. People need to learn some responsibility.
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This is ridiculous. How is this a crime again?
If you’re going to kill yourself, you’re going to do it.
The encouragement of 50 fat nerds won’t help influence your decision.
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I wish the police well in their desire to see justice prevail.
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Encouraging someone to kill themselves IS a crime. Suicide (and attempting suicide) was a crime until 1961. But encouraging people to kill themselves is STILL a crime in the UK.
If there is anyone who reading this who was involved in this matter go to the police beofre they come to you.
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I have been following this news around for a bit from my home ( Netherlands ) and though I can’t approve of what those people did when they encouraged him, I don’t think that putting the blame on them is fair either.
Mister Whitrick knew what he was doing and he chose himself chose to harm himself with the possibility of killing himself.
He opened his webcam for people under the line that he was going to show how he would harm himself and he knew that he could die, so why would the opinion of other people that discouraged or encouraged him matter when he had already made up his mind?
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From what ive heard about it the guy drank 10 pints of lager.The sad thing is the people in the room knew him.It’s not like he was a stranger on line.Most of the people on Paltalk have been on it for a long time.And the staff and users on Paltalk do harass users.It’s not only in the insult rooms.This so called room is in the meet new friends section of paltalk.People really need to find out the facts about this voice chat before they judge this man.This user had been going in that room and on the program for awhile.This doesnt surprise me they pushed him over the edge. Ive seen these people in action and they are evil wicked people.
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He was in a a room that people play in called an insult room. He went there of his own free will. I seriously doubt that if he was not planning on killing himself already, he was not goated by anyone to do so. I have been to those rooms. They are not something I care for. However, placeing blame on anyone for this tragic event other than the suicide victim himself is stupid. If these other people in the chat room are blamed, then it is safe to say I can blame all my mispelled words on my keyboard or pen. Wake up people.
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them people in that room r scum off this earth they should have encorage him to stop but they encorage him to go a head with it
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I FIRST HAND KNOW ALL ABOUT THIS STORY IM SOMEONE WHO KNEW THE VICTIM THE PEOPLE WHO EGGED HIM ON AND THAT CHAT ROOM FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND I CAN ASSURE YOU NO ONE REALLY SAW THAT COMMING. THE ROOM IS SORT OF A WIND UP ROOM WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO THINK UP A HUGE WIND UP THAT PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE AND I’LL BE HONEST THAT ALOTHOUGH THANK GOD I DIDNT WITNESS IT I KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HE WAS LYING TOO AND WHEN I WAS TOLD ABOUT IT I THOUGHT EVERYONE WAS JUST MESSING WITH ME IT TOOK ME A WHOLE DAY OF HEARING ABOUT IT BEFORE I REALIZED IT WAS REAL I SPOKE TO KEVIN ON THAT CHAT PROGRAM AS WELL AS ON MSN HE WAS ALWAYS WINDING PEOPLE UP AND I HONESTLY HAD NO CLUE HE WAS EVEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE DID. SO YOU MIGHT ALL WANT TO JUDGE THE ONES WHO ENCOURAGED BUT I ABSOLUTLY GUARNTEE THAT NO ONE THOUGHT IT WAS REAL AND I KNOW A FEW PPL WHO ARE NOW SERIOULSY DISTRAUGHT OVER WHAT THEY SAID AND HAD THEY KNOWN WOULD HAVE WENT FOR HELP, THEY ARE DEALING WITH THEIR OWN GUILT FOR WHAT THEY SAID AND THE HORROR OF WITNESSING IT AND I THINK THATS MORE THAN ENOUGH PUNISHMENT
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I did’nt know the fella, but feel for his family and friends. He should never have been in a room of that type in his frame of mind, but it is personal choice ? As i understood it every room in Paltalk has admin and moderators, they should have been doing their job and prevented or tried to prevent this awful tragedy. There are rooms in Paltalk, including help rooms that cover all types of subjects including depression, which maybe Kevin would of been better spending time in. I have also used Paltalk for many years and don’t agree that 99.9% are welcoming friendly rooms, try about 60% in my honest opinion. If the police manage to find the people who goaded Kevin into this terrible act, i hope they deal with them serverely. In the meantime i think Paltalk should review their rules,regs and entrusted users. My condolancies go to Kevins family and friends.
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jim are u depressed hmmm what do you know? email is diffrent so stop chatting nonsence plzz. this was personal kevin was not in the right mind at the time and in that room they spotted his weakness and pushed him to the edge it was mental abuse . people egged him on to commit suicide is that normal? hmmmmm NO……. its not its sick and sad and those people should be stopped . bann all insulting rooms NOW!!!
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so kevin was in that room for many years and that day he took his life and its was clear on cam that he was not in the right frame of mind . but to egg him on to commit suicide is cruel . its bang out of order and think as if it was your depressed son or daughter and took there own life cos some low life people egged him or her on . wouldnt u be angry ? cos i sure would be and , what sort of sick people egg a person to commit suicide hmmmm why do they have to insult people ? sad sad people there a disgrace to the human race
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Paltalk is full nasty, jealous,sad, loner losers with no real life. Glad I have a life.
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This is the first I have heard of this. I knew Kevin and he was a very funny man. He was always quick with the jokes. I’m saddened to hear of this death. Kels Friendly chat. Some of the people that go into that room are very nice people but others are just plane horrible. I spent a year going into that room just about every night and there seems to be alot of people who get of on the pain of others. I happen to know for a fact that Kevin and MANY friends from that room that he met and spent time with off the internet. My heart goes out to anyone who had to see this noone should have to live with that image. I no longer go on paltalk or any other chat program it seems to force it’s way into reality and this time it a new height. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family and friends. I hope they find who ever egged him on and throw away the key. You have to live with yourself now. I’m not saying it’s your fault that he’s dead I’m saying it’s a sad day when life becomes entertainment and you should pay! Get off paltalk and get a life. Stop spending so much time trying to hurt others honestly speaking from experience it’s only a matter of time before this all catches up to you. Karma. God Bless you Kevin!
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Everyone should be made more aware of suicidal signs, it is a national epidemic! 1-800-suicide is available
24-7. They are there for people who are in a crisis or the people who are
suicide victim survivors, or just in this case where someone could have called the national number while on the net and maybe have helped…if suicide hasn’t touched your life, don’t think that you are untouchable. It is an epidemic that is reaching mass proportions, just research the internet. My understanding unfortunately, goes out to Kevin and his family. Maybe we can ban together and help spread the word that there is help out there 24-7 nationally……again
1-800-SUICIDE
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I’m not surprised something like this happened in that room.
The people in that room are all LOSERS.
They have no lives, no work and no real friends in the outside world.They sit on that programme day and night 24/7 pretending they have this and that. And anyone who has a good life , property good jobs, they instantly get jealous and start to insult them, like little cyber bullies.
Can you imagine these people sitting at their computers lying and insulting 24/7 ? They must stink cause they have no time to wash.
What a bunch of losers.
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