Movies
Parents have been warned of the dangers of children watching violent films after an eight-year-old's death was linked to a movie.
Kyesha Freeman hanged herself with a noose made from her pyjamas after watching a film featuring a similar suicide, the coroner investigating the case has said.
Police found several 18-rated DVDs and videos in the girl's bedroom, including Girl, Interrupted, which sees a psychiatric patient played by Brittany Murphy commit suicide by hanging. They believe Freeman may have been imitating the scene.
Birmingham coroner Aiden Cotter recorded a verdict of accidental death. "I am not even halfway to believing that she intended to take her own life," he said. "I don't believe that an eight-year-old - even one described as mature - has sufficient understanding of what death really means.
"Whether she was playing out something which she had seen on a DVD or whether she was upset and looking for attention, I don't know," he continued: "Adults ought to be careful what films, DVDs or tapes are available to children because it's easy for a child to see something and imitate it without realising what it is."
Detective Inspector Mark Deuce said: "The videos and DVDs we found in Kyesha's house were unsuitable for a child of her age because they had 12A and 18 ratings. I would stress the importance of parents keeping a close eye on what their children are watching."
Kyesha Freeman hanged herself with a noose made from her pyjamas after watching a film featuring a similar suicide, the coroner investigating the case has said.
Police found several 18-rated DVDs and videos in the girl's bedroom, including Girl, Interrupted, which sees a psychiatric patient played by Brittany Murphy commit suicide by hanging. They believe Freeman may have been imitating the scene.
Birmingham coroner Aiden Cotter recorded a verdict of accidental death. "I am not even halfway to believing that she intended to take her own life," he said. "I don't believe that an eight-year-old - even one described as mature - has sufficient understanding of what death really means.
"Whether she was playing out something which she had seen on a DVD or whether she was upset and looking for attention, I don't know," he continued: "Adults ought to be careful what films, DVDs or tapes are available to children because it's easy for a child to see something and imitate it without realising what it is."
Detective Inspector Mark Deuce said: "The videos and DVDs we found in Kyesha's house were unsuitable for a child of her age because they had 12A and 18 ratings. I would stress the importance of parents keeping a close eye on what their children are watching."
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