“Shocking” suicide books sold on Amazon despite warnings

“Shocking” and “offensive” books about suicide should be removed from sale on Amazon, families say.

Four different coroners have raised concerns with the online retailer since December after people who purchased books and other materials subsequently committed suicide.

The latest warning was issued following the death of Deborah Cooper, 61, from Melksham in Wiltshire.

Amazon said it offers a “wide range of viewpoints, including books that some may find objectionable.”

Warning: contains distressing content

Mrs Cooper was an aspiring writer who had recently moved from Bath to Melksham.

She has openly spoken about her mental health struggles on her blogs and on her Facebook page. She publicly detailed her diagnosis late in life with ADHD and autism.

But on February 21, she committed suicide at home.

A digital copy of a publication was found on his computer, described by Wiltshire coroner David Ridley as “the sole purpose of which is to provide information to those considering taking their own lives”.

Other materials purchased on Amazon were also found.

As a result, the coroner sent a Prevent Future Deaths Notice to Amazon, also copying Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

The letter states that Amazon has the authority to take action to prevent future deaths.

Mr Ridley expressed his “greatest concern” about “the marketing and provision of such a book giving clear instructions” on how to commit suicide.

The letter written by the Wiltshire coroner was the fourth similar letter sent to Amazon since December 2023.

In March, the Cheshire Coroner also wrote to Amazon about the death of Mary Jones, 86, from Knutsford.

Coroner Elizabeth Wheeler said Ms Jones looked at a book available on her website as she prepared to take her own life.

Ms Wheeler said: “Amazon, or the algorithms, are clearly aware of the potential harm this book can cause as there is a banner at the top giving the Samaritans contact numbers.

“Despite this, the book is still on sale.”

Mary Jones’ daughter, Christine Wadsworth, told the BBC that she still misses her mother deeply.

“For me, it’s very, very sad,” she said.

“She was unhappy but maybe she would have come to her senses. Maybe something would have just cheered her up, or maybe a few months would have passed.”

But she said she was angry at the “offensive” books on sale on Amazon.

“It’s shocking that you can just get a book like that. You wouldn’t expect to see it on virtual shelves. You wouldn’t expect it to just be there, as something you can select , buy and read.

“I don’t think this book should be on sale. I don’t really know why it exists and who it’s really for.”

In a statement, Amazon said: “We offer our deepest condolences to Ms. Cooper’s family and friends.

“As a bookseller, we choose to offer a wide range of viewpoints, including books that some might find objectionable, and we have content guidelines governing which books can be offered for sale.

“We recognize that this is a very sensitive issue and as such we are displaying a banner on the product detail page of this book, which presents customers with information on how to access the free advice and confidential of the Samaritans.”

Amazon is currently the fifth largest company in the United States and has announced total revenue of $575 billion in 2023. Its founder Jeff Bezos has an estimated fortune of around $200 billion.

A book purchased on Amazon was also blamed for the death of Toni Haw, 19, from York, in 2013.

His mother, Hilary Haw, told the BBC: “We found him in his room a few days after everything happened and we reported him to the police straight away. They came to pick him up at that time.

“I only had a quick look at it, but it was quite gruesome. The coroner said the method she used was specifically described in this book.

“This is a dangerous publication and I certainly think it should not be available for free.”

The Inner West London Coroner expressed concern to the company in December 2023 regarding the death of Chloe Macdermott, 43, from London. The coroner said she bought a substance on the US Amazon website which she used to kill herself.

Later that month, the Cheshire regional coroner wrote to the company following the death of Adrian Gallagher, 19, in Warrington. She said she was concerned about a book available on Amazon that was linked to his death.

The BBC does not give any more details about the deaths or what was purchased from Amazon than is available in public documents released by coroners.

Campaign groups have echoed the coroners’ calls.

Suicide Prevention UK, based in Bristol, runs a helpline for people in mental distress and runs patrols.

The association’s administrator, Lauren Rolfe, believes that the availability of books increases the risk of vulnerable people committing suicide.

“These people have mental health issues, are experiencing a mental health crisis,” she said.

“They will do everything they can to end the pain and with these books being readily available it will support them in their goal.”

Some of the books in question are already banned in Australia.

The author of two of the books told the BBC: “Rational adults have the right to have the information (and means) necessary to end their lives at a time of their choosing, for whatever reason.”

“This differs from the ‘medical model’ where illness and degree of suffering are codified to decide whether legal assistance in dying can be provided.”

UK campaign group Dignity in Dying recently joined journalist and journalist Esther Rantzen in calling for a change to the law on assisted dying.

They want a system that allows people with less than six months of life to have the right to control their death.

But in a statement, they distanced themselves from the books cited by coroners, saying: “The blanket ban on medically assisted dying protects none of us and forces hundreds of people to phase out each year terminal to resort to drastic methods to end their suffering.

“Under the law in England and Wales…it is illegal to ‘aid or abet a suicide’, which can include giving advice or information on how to end in his days.

“Dignity in Dying operates within the law and therefore does not provide information or assistance to people seeking to end their lives in the UK. »