Devastated Mum Says Social Media Giants Failed Her 12-Year-Old

The grieving family of 12-year-old Savannah Forbes, who died by suicide, is urging social media companies to do more to shield children from harmful material online.

Savannah died at her home in Gladstone, central Queensland, on Tuesday, shortly after sharing a light-hearted dinner with her family.

According to The Courier Mail, detectives found distressing material on Savannah’s phone during their investigation, including interactions with people discussing suicide and self-harm.

Her mother, Justine West, said the conversations were deeply inappropriate for a child of Savannah’s age and called for stronger protections for young Australians online.

“The social media giants have let down Savannah. How is that kind of conversation even allowed to stay on social media?” she told the Courier Mail.

“Savannah got caught up in a very dark world.

“That kind of talk would be like poison for any child. Savannah was not in the mental health space to deal with it.”

Ms West said the family had not realised how severe the content Savannah was seeing had become. She said her daughter appeared upbeat during their family meal before her death.

“She was excited about us going to buy make-up. She was beautiful and happy,” Ms West said.

Savannah’s older sister, Aleasha West, said platforms including TikTok had a darker side and warned that children could be exposed to dangerous material.

“Savannah was pulled into that destructive side,” she said.

The family also said Savannah had been dealing with bullying and that her behaviour had changed noticeably.

Worried about her daughter, Ms West took Savannah to a GP, who referred her to CQ Psych Services. However, the mother said the service had a lengthy waiting list.

“There was nowhere to go. No urgent help when she needed it,” Ms West said.

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“Why are so many young kids dying this way? And where is the help?”

Although Australia introduced social media age restrictions during the past year, Savannah was still able to access her accounts.

Savannah’s family is now seeking stronger online safeguards for children, particularly against content and conversations involving self-harm.

The Daily Mail has contacted TikTok and CQ Psych Services for comment. 

The social media platform provided the Courier Mail with details of how it maintains strong relationships with law enforcement agencies and continually improves its policies.

TikTok deactivated more than 550,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 when the new laws came into effect.

The platform said it removes about 24,000 accounts each month that it suspects belong to underage users. 

Aleasha West has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to bring her sister’s remains from Gladstone back to her hometown for ‘the farewell she deserves, surrounded by the people and community who loved her’.

‘Our family is living through a pain we never imagined we would have to face. Our beautiful 12 year old baby sister Savannah has tragically ended her life,’ she said,

‘She was our baby sister. Her mum and dad’s baby girl. A daughter, a sister, a friend, and a little girl who had her whole entire life ahead of her.

‘The day we lost her was, without a doubt, the worst day of our lives. 

‘There are simply no words for the pain of knowing she won’t get to grow up, experience all the things she should have experienced, or become the young woman she was meant to be.’

Queensland Police said officers in Gladstone would prepare a report for the coroner following the non-suspicious death of a child on September 29.

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