MPs will today debate a change in the law proposed by a bereaved mother who believes social media may hold crucial clues to her son’s death.
Jools Sweeney was 14 when he was found unconscious at home in April 2022.
His parents and friends who saw him earlier that day say there were no signs he was depressed.
A coroner found he took his own life, but that he probably did not intend to, as he was unable to confirm he was in a suicidal mood.
His mother Ellen Roome suspects he may have taken part in an online challenge.
She has spent two years trying to get access to his social media accounts but says the tech companies have made it “very difficult”.
Her petition to allow bereaved parents or guardians to access a child’s full social media history attracted 126,000 signatures, known as Jools Law, and will be debated in parliament later.
“Earlier in the day he was playing football with a group of friends,” she said.
“You can see on our security camera he said goodbye to his friend, all chirpy, an hour and a half before I got home.
“We can’t have all, his parents, friends, teachers, grandparents, missed depression. And so we’re left with these huge question marks,” she said.
“The pain in my heart of not knowing what happened that night or why is incredibly hard. I don’t want another family to go through it.”
‘It’s my gut feeling and I just want to know’
Ms Roome, 48 from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, fears her son may have taken part in an online challenge which led to his death.
The police and coroner did not gather forensic data from his phone.
With help from her son’s friends, Ellen has been able to unlock his phone and access some of his accounts, but some material has been deleted.
She says the tech companies have not given her full access to what Jools was…
