North East family warn dangers of ‘catfishing’ after teen dies
A Redcar woman is pleading with youngsters to beware of 'catfishing' after it cost her teen brother his life.
Mitchell Bowie was found dead at his family home, aged just 18 years old, in July this year.
Last week an inquest into his death heard claims from his family that a ‘fake’ Facebook girlfriend threatened and ‘tortured’ him, telling him to kill himself.
Cleveland Police say that they thoroughly investigated the death and no criminal offences were found to have taken place, but today Mitchells sister Sinead is warning others about online dangers.
“There was two girls, they were meant to be cousins… but one of them the police don’t’ even know who she is, where she is or hwat she is. If anything comes from Mitchells death, it’s to warn people that you don’t know who is sat behind a screen, it could be anybody.
“She’d sent him messages saying either you do it or I’m going to send people down for you, I’m going to blow your house up, watch your family.
“You don’t know who is sat behind the screen or phone or iPad or whatever, like Mitchell didn’t… He fell for it and it cost him his life.”
Val McFarlane, from the bullying intervention group based in Durham, said:
“This is a dreadful incident, this poor young man. It could have been some sort of prank but it’s gone far too far. People have to realise what the circumstances can be if they decide to do this.
“Police need to have more powers. They can actually prosecute people for cyber bullying but they need to have more powers they do need to be able to do more because when it goes this far and ends up in the tragic death of someone surely somebody needs to be held accountable for this.
A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said:
“Police thoroughly investigated the death and no criminal offences were found to have taken place.
“The death was not deemed as suspicious and a file was prepared for the coroner.”
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