Latest news with #BriannaGhey
The Independent
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Brianna Ghey's mother hits out at potential watering down of Online Safety Bill
The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey said she is 'frustrated' by the government's approach to online safety, as reports suggest the Online Safety Bill could be watered down to appease US President Donald Trump. Esther Ghey spoke to the BBC on Sunday morning about the bill and the death of her 16-year-old daughter, whose murder led to UK-wide protests and vigils. 'While we are… questioning whether it's strong enough or whether it should be watered down, young people are at harm, and young people are losing their lives,' she said. 'Young people shouldn't be struggling with mental health because of what they are accessing online, and we really do need to take a hard stance on this.' Brianna, 16, was murdered by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, were both 15 at the time of the murder in 2023. Ms Ghey has previously met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his predecessor Rishi Sunak to discuss the issue and has criticised the Online Safety Act, saying it does not go far enough. She has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. On her campaigning work on online safety and trolling, Ms Ghey said she supports a ban on social media for under 16s. The Online Safety Act could reportedly be watered down as part of US trade negotiations, and the children's commissioner for England has called for young people to be removed from social media altogether if that happens. Dame Rachel de Souza said this week that 'if regulation is pulled back on children, if the online safety bill is pulled back on children, then we need children off social media'. Mr Trump has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all UK imports to the US, and a 25 per cent tariff on UK cars and car parts. The UK is pushing for a US trade deal in which they hope to see tariffs eased. On Sunday morning, chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said that the 'basic protections' in the Online Safety Bill 'are not up for negotiation'. He said the government 'won't be walking away from" the idea that online platforms need to be designed in a way to protect children from harm. A government spokesperson said: 'The Online Safety Act is about protecting children online from harmful content like self-harm and eating disorders as well as making sure what is illegal offline is illegal online. 'These laws are not part of the negotiation and our priority is getting them in place quickly and effectively, while exploring what more can be done to build a safer online world.'
The Independent
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Brianna Ghey's mother slams potential watering down of Online Safety Bill
Brianna Ghey 's mother, Esther Ghey, criticises the government 's Online Safety Bill for being potentially "watered down." She expresses frustration that while the bill is being debated, young people are still being harmed and losing their lives due to online content. Ms. Ghey advocates for stricter measures, including a ban on social media for children under 16, citing the harmful effects of online hate, misinformation, and dangerous challenges. She highlights the lack of support when reporting harmful comments and the negative impact online interactions can have on children's empathy and understanding. The government maintains that the Online Safety Act aims to protect children from harmful content and will not be part of negotiations.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
What happened to Brianna Ghey's killers? ITV documentary on 'brutal' murder
ITV is due to show the story of Brianna Ghey's murder in a new documentary, including the outcome of a police investigation into who was responsible for her death. Ghey was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back after being lured to Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on February 11, 2023. The victim's mother, Esther Ghey, who is calling for a public inquiry into peer-on-peer violence, will speak in-depth about her 16-year-old daughter, whose murder led to UK-wide protests and vigils. She has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. Brianna Ghey was killed in a park in Culceth in February 2023 (Image: Supplied) The documentary will also feature interviews with the victim's friends, family and detectives. Ghey's killers were found and punished for the fatal injuries they inflicted on her – here's what we know about her killers and what happened to them. The attack was carried out by teenagers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. Ghey's killers, who were both 15 at the time of the murder, were caught within 28 hours and they were given life sentences in February 2024. The judge said the 'exceptionally brutal' murder had elements of both sadism by Scarlett Jenkinson and transphobic hate on the part of her accomplice, Eddie Ratcliffe. Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe have been jailed for the murder of Brianna Ghey (Image: Cheshire Police) It was revealed that from the age of 14 Jenkinson enjoyed watching videos of real killing and torture on the dark web, fantasised about murder and developed an interest in serial killers. In December 2024, Ratcliffe was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years and had a bid to challenge the length of his sentence dismissed at the Court of Appeal. The ITV documentary, Brianna: A Mother's Story, will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Thursday, March 27 at 9pm. Cheshire Police has given access to its investigation, including evidence and custody suite interviews with the two killers. Recommended reading: What happened to Brianna Ghey? ITV documentary to explore murder of teenager Is Adolescence based on a true story? Stephen Graham explains new Netflix series Will there be a second series of Netflix's Adolescence? Director shares thoughts Tom Giles, controller of current affairs at ITV, said: 'We are incredibly grateful that Brianna's family entrusted us and (television production company) MultiStory Media to bring this deeply personal story to ITV. 'We are privileged to have had the unique insight of Esther – as well as of the police force who worked on the case. 'The resulting documentary is a testament to the strength of character of Esther who, in the face of such an appalling crime, fights to this day to effect real change in society and to keep her daughter's name alive.'
The Independent
24-03-2025
- The Independent
Brianna Ghey's mother wants children banned from social media
The mother of a transgender teenager murdered in 2023 is calling for a social media ban for children under 16. Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey, says social media platforms are an "absolute cesspit" full of harmful content, including hate speech and dangerous challenges. She is advocating for stricter online safety measures, including an age limit on smartphone use and tougher action on knife crime. Ms Ghey's call to action follows the release of an ITV documentary, Brianna: A Mother's Story, which explores her 16-year-old daughter's life and death. The documentary features interviews with Brianna's friends, police officers, and a former Meta engineering director discussing the dangers of harmful algorithms.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
Brianna film was bid to get answers
The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey said she does not believe social media companies would put "lives before profit". Esther Ghey was speaking at the screening of a new ITV documentary, Brianna: A Mother's Story, which explores the death of her 16-year-old daughter, who was murdered by two teenagers. Scarlet Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, who were both 15 at the time, lured Brianna to a park in Cheshire on 11 February 2023, where she was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife. The 75-minute film celebrates Brianna's life and features interviews with three of her friends, while also examining issues around online safety. How can you keep your child safe online? Online Act not strong enough, Brianna's mum says 'I've never felt such grief' - Brianna Ghey's mum Brianna - who was transgender - struggled with her mental health which was worsened by accessing eating disorder and self-harm content on X. She had thousands of followers on TikTok, with some of the videos she posted going viral. From the age of 14, Jenkinson was drawn to videos on the dark web of real killing and torture, fantasised about murder and developed an interest in serial killers. Speaking at the documentary screening, Ms Ghey said one of the reasons she had chosen to take part was to "get answers" from social media companies about safety. "At this point, I really do not believe that any social media company will put lives before profit." She added that she wanted to ensure "my family's story was told truthfully, and people could get to know Brianna the way we did". In the film, Ms Ghey spoke in depth for the first time about her "beautiful daughter" and how the devastating loss had driven her campaign for change. On her campaigning work on online safety and trolling, she said she supported a ban for under-16s on the "absolute cesspit" of social media. "Even if, say, if I do an interview I'll try not to look at comments, but I can never help myself," she said. "I'll look at the comments and you'll see people saying about my child, trying to tell me what gender my child was, and also really, really horrific comments too." She added that this was mentioned in the documentary and that when things were reported there was no support. "I've reported so many comments, and I always get the response that they haven't done anything wrong, that it's not something that they can take down, and our children have access to those comments." "No matter how much love and compassion you pump into your child when you're bringing them up, how much empathy you can teach them, they will then go online and they'll see the way that people are speaking about others and they might think that's right. "And that's without even going into the amount of harm that's online, like the dangerous challenges where young people are losing their lives due to these sick challenges. "People uploading misogyny, hate, misinformation, and that is just the tip of the iceberg," she said. In deeply personal conversations, she discussed her ongoing campaign to make the UK safer for children and called for a public inquiry into peer-on-peer violence, why it is on the rise, and what can be done to stop it happening. She also looks at whether social media is making children harm themselves or others. Ms Ghey had previously met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as well as his predecessor Rishi Sunak, to discuss the issue, and had criticised the Online Safety Act for not going far enough. She has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. "We need to make people realise that we, as consumers, have the power. "If we all decide to keep our children off social media or to give them a 'brick' phone, we can vote with our money. "Brianna was genuinely addicted and I understand the signs of addiction because I have been an addict. Teenagers are often glued to their tablets eight hours a day. That's not healthy." The film explores Brianna's upbringing in Warrington through interviews with her her sister Alisha, as well as her close friends, who describe her as kind, chatty and funny. They speak about the "wonderful" and "amazing" person Brianna was, and speak about her trans journey. The documentary includes detectives from Cheshire Police who speak about the investigation into her murder and reveal for the first time how they quickly built up their case to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ms Ghey said she hoped that documentary "contributed to the push for our children's welfare, online and offline". The social media companies all refused to be part of the documentary and have declined a meeting with Ms Ghey. Meta, X and TikTok have been contacted for comment. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line. Brianna: A Mother's Story, will air on 27 March at 21:00 GMT on ITV1 and ITVX. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to Brianna's mum wants mindfulness taught in schools Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm Shut vile death video site, families say, as Ofcom gets new powers
