Archie’s mum ‘fears online craze which put son in coma ‘has killed 82 children’
Archie Battersbee’s mother has called for action to be taken against ‘disgusting’ online content.
Her 12-year-old son was found unconscious with a ligature over his head at home in Essex on April 7.
Hollie Dance, Archie’s mother, previously said the schoolboy was taking part in an online challenge.
The 46-year-old claims there has been at least 82 deaths linked to the ‘blackout challenge’ which sees people choke themselves until they pass out.
Ms Dance has now joined calls for social media companies to do more to take on ‘disgusting’ content.
In her first interview since Archie’s death, she told the Mirror: ‘The social media companies don’t do enough to stop harmful content online.
‘It’s out there and people are grooming our children to do these challenges, it’s disgusting. The people – they’re often adults, not children – who are demonstrating these challenges are sick.’
TikTok has been contacted for comment by Metro.co.uk.
Archie died on August 6 after his life support was withdrawn.
A judge based in the Family Division of the High Court in London had ruled in July that doctors could lawfully stop providing treatment for the boy.
Subsequent appeals by Ms Dance and Archie’s father Paul Battersbee failed to overturn the decision.
Earlier this week, Ms Dance announced she wants a meeting with Health Secretary Steve Barclay to discuss the implications of her son’s case.
She has called for a ‘public inquiry’ into the ‘operation of this system’ and a ‘change of the law’, following Archie’s death.
Ms Dance says, in her letter, that ‘similar cases’ are subject to ‘severe reporting restrictions’ and ‘therefore away from public scrutiny’.
Archie’s parents are being supported by a campaign organisation called the Christian Legal Centre.
Centre officials released Ms Dance’s letter to Mr Barclay on Friday.
‘I would like to meet with you … to discuss how we can work together to ensure that no other family has to go through this,’ says Ms Dance in the letter.
‘Archie’s case has had a lot of publicity, but I know that many similar cases are heard in the Family Division subject to severe reporting restrictions, and therefore away from public scrutiny.’
Ms Dance had earlier said she felt ‘backed into a corner’ by the legal system.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, thought that he was brain-stem dead and said continued life-support treatment was not in his best interests.
Health department officials indicated that Ms Dance would get a response to her letter soon.
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