Home Secretary hopes to meet grieving family
HOME Secretary Priti Patel has said she hopes to meet the family of 12-yearold Charley-Ann Patterson, who took her own life at the age of 12.
Charley-Ann’s grieving mother, Jay Patterson, is campaigning for more support for everyone struggling with poor mental health, and especially for children.
Charley-Ann Patterson, from Cramlington, Northumberland, was found dead aged just 12 in October last year. She had been struggling to get the mental health help she needed.
Since her tragic death, her family have been working to set up the Charley-Ann Patterson Trust in her memory. They’ve now formally registered as a charity.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy said her death showed the need to prevent bullying on social media, and asked Ms Patel to meet Charley-Ann’s family.
He said: “This is a matter close to my heart. Last year, 12-year-old Charley Patterson, one of my constituents, tragically took her own life after horrific abuse she received online from her peers.”
He asked the Home Secretary: “Will she do all she can to encourage social media companies to take action straightaway to tackle harmful content or activity, and would she please meet me to discuss Charley’s case and the campaign that her family have launched surrounding this?”
Ms Patel said she will “absolutely” meet Mr Levy “to discuss Charley Patterson’s case and, if the opportunity arises, meet the family as well.
“These are tragic cases and I am so saddened and sorry to hear of the case that he has raised. So much more work is required by social media companies,” she said.
She also said she would discuss the issue with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
“Extensive work is taking place across Government. In fact, I will also speak to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport because we are looking to introduce the Online Harms Bill and across Government we need to come together to hold these social media companies to account. It is a tragedy. So many of us have constituents and know of constituents who have suffered in the same way as the Patterson family and that is wrong. We need to stop that.”
Charley-Ann Patterson was said by her family to be funny, artistic and adventurous. She also faced serious mental health struggles, for which she and her family had tried to seek help. To find out more about the The Charley-Ann Patterson Trust search ‘The Charley-Ann Patterson Trust’ on Facebook. Donations can be made to help get the trust’s planned youth centre up and running at www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/jay-patterson.