Author Peterson speaks to police after teenager’s death
CONTROVERSIAL Canadian author Jordan B Peterson has spoken to police following the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe last year, the Sunday Independent can reveal. The 14-year-old’s naked body was found in a storm drain six days after going missing — and 10 months on his grieving family are still searching for answers as to what led him to his death.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Peterson and both the coroner and the PSNI have stated Noah’s death was not caused by foul play.
Mr Peterson’s multimillion selling book 12 Rules For Life, a self-help manual described as a “guide through the disorderly universe”, was found in Noah’s backpack after he went missing.
It is understood detectives are now studying the book for clues as to what happened in the final hours of Noah’s life.
In the weeks that followed his death, PSNI detectives discovered a direct Instagram message sent on the day the teenager went missing, June 21, purporting to come from the psychologist.
Detectives in Belfast then tasked officers from Toronto Police Service to speak to the author at his private residence — a move that had to be signed off at senior level within the PSNI.
Sources say Toronto officers visited Mr Peterson’s home twice, once in August when he was undergoing medical treatment for a well-publicised battle with withdrawal symptoms related to benzodiazepine use, and again in January of this year.
When contacted by the Sunday Independent for comment about the message, a representative for the psychologist denied the author had been in contact with the teenager.
“There have been no communication between Noah and Jordan. There are many JBP impersonator accounts, it’s likely that the messages have come from elsewhere,” said a spokesman. He described Noah’s death as a “terrible tragedy” and confirmed Mr Peterson had been in contact with the PSNI. “We have fully cooperated with police,” said the spokesman, who offered his “sincere condolences” to Noah’s mother, Fiona.
The spokesperson then reiterated that no message had been sent from any social media account linked to Mr Peterson to Noah, stating: “There is no further detail that I can provide to you on this matter, other than that Jordan did not communicate with Noah, and that we cooperated with the PSNI. Therefore, please direct all further inquiries to the PSNI, and consider that our official position.”
Neither the PSNI nor Toronto Police Service were in a position to comment.
A pre-inquest review hearing last August was told there was no evidence Noah had been attacked and no evidence any other person had been involved in his disappearance and death. However, the PSNI confirmed last month it had received a report the schoolboy may have been assaulted as he cycled through Belfast after going missing. The information received claimed Noah was attacked by drug addicts who lived in one of the city’s homeless shelters.
Last week his mother Fiona spoke of her grief and vowed not to give up her fight for answers.