Bereaved mother continues fight for change in data laws after teenage son took his own life

ITV News

08-05-2025

The mother of a Cheltenham teenager who took his own life says a change in the law doesn't go far enough in allowing bereaved parents access to data from their children's phones.
Ellen Roome has been fighting for a change in law since her 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, took his own life in April 2022.
Ellen believes her son took part in an online challenge that went wrong, but she has never been able to access his phone's data.
The bereaved mother has been fighting for a change in law which would allow families to access user data from up to 12 months before the date of their loved one's death.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill was passed by MPs on Wednesday, but the change proposed by Ellen was not voted on.
The changes voted through by MPs will now give coroners the right to request data within 90 days of a child dying, but Ellen says this does not go far enough.
She said: "If coroners or police don't request that data, then you'll have parents in my situation wondering what happened to their child".
She said if social media companies gave bereaved parents access to their child's data and a harmful trend had a role to play in their death, parents and coroners could "stop it happening to other children".
Speaking yesterday in the House of Commons Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson raised the case of his Cheltenham constituent.
Mr Wilkinson, spoke about the proposed amendment to the Data Bill, and said: 'In her search for answers, Ellen found herself blocked by social media giants that placed process ahead of compassion.
"The police had no reason to suspect a crime so did not see a reason to undertake a full investigation into Jools' social media."
'We will do everything we possibly can to ensure coroners understand both their powers and their duties in this regard, how they should be operating with families and the prosecuting authorities as well, if necessary, but also that the technical companies embrace this point that they need to look after the families of those who have lost loved ones when they're young.'
Ellen feels the 90 day timeframe for coroners to request data is too short and doesn't take into consideration the emotional turmoil parents are going through after losing a loved one.
Ellen said: "When your child dies, you're in no fit state to do anything, you can barley sleep or function and in my case, I didn't have any fight, and I'm a fighter.
"To put the onus on the parents to do that, you're not in a fit state to do that, it took me two years to request the data, I just couldn't do it. I was crawling on my hands and knees just trying to go to bed."
Ellen is now fighting to ensure that police and coroners have a clear procedure in place to make sure data is requested in that 90 day timeframe.
"I need them to change the system, I don't want any other parent to be in my situation", she told ITV News.
In a statement the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the government is "committed to helping bereaved families get the answers they need".
'No family should have to experience the devastating consequences of losing a child", it read.
'In tragic cases where a child's death is linked to social media, under the Online Safety Act coroners will have the power to demand relevant data from platforms.
"This material can then be shared with relevant person's where appropriate, such as parents.
"We are also strengthening these powers through new data laws to ensure information can be preserved after a child's death to facilitate investigations.
'We are committed to helping bereaved families get the answers they need.
"We will continue to engage with platforms to ensure they are prepared for new laws and to identify any remaining barriers to retaining data in such tragic cases.'