Teenage girl died following 'hateful' comments on Ask.fm

The aunt of a teenager who took her own life has spoken out against anonymous messaging.

Charron Pugsley Hill told BBC 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire that her niece Kiera, 15, received "hateful and horrible comments" from users on social networking site Ask.fm.

Ask.fm, which has 56 million users worldwide, has been blamed by some for the suicides of other children in the UK and Ireland.

Its founders say the site "started out as a fun, light-hearted" place for teenagers, and they are "disappointed" at the way some have chosen to use the service.

They added that systems are in place "to ensure genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately".

  • UK