Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PARENTS FEAR OVER VILE SELF HARM CRAZE
Terrifying online game the Momo Challenge already linked to one death
AN evil online game urging children to kill themselves has spread to Northern Ireland, the Mirror can reveal.
The Momo Challenge has been linked to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Argentina.
A West Belfast mother said: “When I saw it, it filled me with absolute dread.”
AN Ulster mum has told of her horror after her child was targeted by the sickening Momo Challenge that urges kids to kill themselves.
The West Belfast parent said her seven-year-old daughter was almost tricked into playing the global online game that has been linked to the death of girl, 12, in Argentina.
She said: “When I saw it, it filled me with absolute dread. Internet safety has always been a big thing and we’ve made sure we always have parental blocks and safety measures in place.
“She doesn’t know how to download anything and if she tries to, a text message is sent to my partner’s phone so he’d know about it.”
The mum who asked not to be named, said an advert for a cowboy game tried to lure the girl into clicking on it.
The Momo Challenge encourages children to communicate with a creepy female character with straggly hair, protruding eyes and a demonic grin.
CURSE
She urges youngsters to contact her through Whatsapp and other social media and sends them graphic images and instructions to harm themselves and others – or she will “curse them”.
Hundreds of parents in Northern Ireland have taken to social media to warn about the threat to children, urging them to check tablets and phones.
A mother from Manchester said she was “alarmed” when her son’s teacher told her he had made threats to pupils.
In Inverness, a parent said the game had spread to England and Scotland.
Mum Hailey added: “My son tried his best to deny it but when I showed him the picture he broke down and was so scared.
“He’s confessed while watching Youtube, this came up as a really quick advert and he was told it was a secret, and not to tell any adults.
“But this was a long time ago. My heart is broken. I thought I was on top of online safety.”
The West Belfast mum whose daughter was targeted urged parents to be vigilant around children’s gaming. She said: “I originally heard about the game through my niece who tagged me in a Facebook post.
“I was so shocked, it’s terrible that this is being pushed to kids.
“It’s so terrifying to think about, I made sure to be careful about talking about it up to my wee girl.
“I just acted really casual and asked her if she’d heard of a game called Momo and I knew by her face when she said no that she didn’t have a clue.
“I was relieved because when I saw on a Facebook post a video where a mum asked her wee boy if he had he heard of it, his face drained of colour.
“The two main elements of the game is to keep it a secret from adults and try to pass it on to as many other children as possible. I didn’t go into the horrible
I was so shocked, it’s terrible this is being pushed to kids. It’s terrifying to think about WEST BELFAST MOTHER YESTERDAY
details of the game with my daughter, I just told her it was very serious and if it ever popped up to call me or her dad.”
The mum added the girl was targeted within hours of her warning.
She said: “She called me in but it only stayed up for a few seconds.
INNOCENT
“The picture that it was showing was like Country and Western theme and had two cowboys with just the name Momo underneath which I think is to entice kids in. Think of how appealing and innocent that would look to little boys, it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“My daughter was playing Fashion Famous which is a game inside the Roblox app so I exited out of it straight away and made sure to delete Fashion Famous from the app.
“Thankfully, there has been nothing since Monday but it’s terrifying. It’s absolute madness that something like this has even been created. I just want to urge parents to be aware of this because it is real and very dangerous.
“I also had a chat with my son about it but he is an older teenager and has Instagram but he had never heard of it.”
DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst has contacted the PSNI over Momo.
The North Belfast politician said: “This game is grotesque. While I liaise with police to try and have this vile challenge blocked, I would encourage parents to check their children’s history online and have a talk with them about the serious dangers that are out there.
“Given the seriousness of this, it is up to law enforcement to ensure if the individual behind it lives within the UK they are put behind bars for a substantial period of time.”
The sinister Momo image was created by Japanese firm Link Factory, and designed by Midori Hayashi who has no connection to the game. The real title of the artwork, Mother Bird, was on display at Tokyo’s horror art Vanilla Gallery. An NSPCC spokesperson said parents should speak regularly with children about what they’re looking at on phones and online. They added: “If adults are concerned or have any questions on how to approach the subject with their children you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit the NSPCC website. “Children worried about their activity on apps or online games can contact Childline 24 hours on 0800 1111 or by visiting www.childline.org.uk.”