Woman 'live-streamed her own suicide on Periscope'

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PeriscopeImage source, Periscope
Image caption,

Periscope attracted more than 10 million users within a year of being launched

An investigation into the death of a 19-year-old French woman who reportedly live-streamed herself taking her own life has opened in France.

The woman, who had been using the smartphone app Periscope, reportedly jumped under a train at a station about 25 miles (40 km) south of Paris on Tuesday.

The video is no longer available on Periscope, which is owned by Twitter.

Twitter said it did not comment "on individual accounts".

According to French newspapers, the young woman died in Egly, Essone at about 15:30 GMT on 10 May.

Previously, she had filmed herself in her flat discussing how she intended to make a video to "send a message", warning younger viewers not to continue to watch what would be a "shocking" act, it was reported.

During the filming, the young woman claimed to have been raped and named her attacker, according to the reports.

The death is currently being investigated and the data on the young woman's phone is being looked at, said local prosecutor Eric Lallement.

It is not the first time that Periscope has been linked to inappropriate content.

In April, a woman from Ohio was charged with streaming the rape of a teenage girl via the app. She denied the charge.

Other incidents include:

Periscope has strict guidelines about content that is allowed and also provides a link to allow users to report issues.

It does not monitor the feeds around the clock, although it has previously said that it was able to respond "within minutes".

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Samaritans

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Phone for free: 116 123

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Visit the Samaritans website, external

Survivors' Trust

The Survivors' Trust provide support and signposting for women, men and children who are survivors of rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse.

Phone: 0808 801 0818

SOS Amitie

In France, SOS Amitie, external offers a similar service to the Samaritans.