A woman has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging or assisting the suicide of a 17-year-old who died after joining an online suicide forum.

Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, of Southampton, died in May 2024 after becoming a user of the website.

A spokesperson from Hampshire police confirmed that a 29-year-old woman from Merton in London was arrested and bailed while investigations continue.

According to the BBC, the forum – which is not being named due to the nature of its content – has been linked to at least 50 deaths in the UK, while one charity said it understood the National Crime Agency (NCA) has linked the site to as many as 97 deaths in the UK.

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Despite suffering from anxiety and depression Vlad’s family described him as a ‘precious little boy’ who had visions of becoming a theoretical physicist. 

In a BBC iPlayer documentary, Killed by the Internet, Vlad's mum Anna Nikolin-Caisley recounted the night he died.

Anna said: “In a very serious voice I heard ‘mum call the doctors, I’ve taken poison, call the doctors now’.

“He changed his mind, and he came to me for help to save him. Suddenly, thump he hit the ground and started fitting.

“He started vomiting – I was trying to hold his hand.

“I saw my son fighting for his last breath. In that moment you want miracles."

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The site, according to a BBC report, is the first to be investigated under the Online Safety Act by Ofcom.

Under this act, platforms must comply with a range of new codes of practice, which set out how sites must protect users and children from encountering harmful content.

They must now show that they have systems and processes in place within their terms of service, moderation teams and site design that will help protect users from harmful content.

The first set of these codes, which focused on stopping the spread of illegal content – including that which promotes suicide and self-harm – came into force last month.

Contact Samaritans for free at any time on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.