'Shocking' suicide books sold on Amazon despite warnings

Christine Wadsworth said she was "shocked" by a book about suicide bought by her mother Mary Jones

"Shocking" and "offensive" books on suicide should be withdrawn from sale on Amazon, according to families.

Four different coroners have raised concerns with the online retailer since December after people who had bought books and other materials later took their own lives.

The latest warning was issued following the death of Deborah Cooper, 61, from Melksham in Wiltshire.

Amazon said it offered a “broad range of viewpoints including books that some may find objectionable”.

Warning: Contains distressing content

Ms Cooper was an aspiring writer who had recently moved from Bath to Melksham.

She openly discussed her struggles with her mental health on her blogs and her Facebook page. She publicly detailed her diagnosis, late in life, with ADHD and autism.

But on February 21, she took her own life at home.

A digital copy of a publication was found on her computer, described by Wiltshire Coroner David Ridley as one "whose sole purpose is to provide information to those contemplating ending their lives".

Other materials bought from Amazon were also found.

As a result, the coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths notice to Amazon, and also copied to Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch and Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer.

The letter said Amazon has the power to take action to prevent future deaths.

Mr Ridley expressed his “utmost concern” about the “marketing and supply of such a book giving clear instructions” on ways of taking one’s life.

The letter written by the Wiltshire Coroner was the fourth similar letter sent to Amazon since December 2023.

In March, the Cheshire Coroner also wrote to Amazon about the death of Mary Jones, 86 from Knutsford.

Coroner Elizabeth Wheeler said Mrs Jones had consulted a book available from its website as she prepared to take her own life.

Mrs Wheeler said: "Amazon, or the algorithms, are clearly aware of the potential for harm that this book can cause as there is a banner at the top giving contact numbers for the Samaritans.

"Despite this, the book is still on sale."

Mary Jones's daughter, Christine Wadsworth, told the BBC she still deeply missed her mother.

"For me it's very, very sad," she said.

"She was unhappy but maybe she would have come round. Maybe something may have just cheered her up, or perhaps another few months might have passed."

But she said she was angry about the "offensive" books on sale at Amazon.

"It is shocking that you can just get a book like that. You don’t expect to see it within the virtual bookshelves. You wouldn’t expect that to just be sitting there as something you can select and buy and read.

"I don’t think this book should be on sale. I don’t quite know why it exists and who it’s directed at really."

In a statement, Amazon said: “We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ms Cooper.

“As a bookseller, we've chosen to offer a broad range of viewpoints, including books that some may find objectionable, and we have content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale.

“We recognise this is a highly sensitive issue, and as such, we display a banner on the product detail page for this book, which presents customers with information on how to access free and confidential advice from the Samaritans.”

Amazon is currently the fifth biggest company in the US and announced total revenues of $575bn in 2023. Its founder Jeff Bezos has an estimated fortune of around $200bn.

A book bought from Amazon was also blamed for the death of Toni Haw, 19, from York, in 2013.

Her mother Hilary Haw told the BBC: “We found it in her room a couple of days after it all happened and reported this to the police straight away. They came and collected it at the time.

"I only glanced at it but it was pretty gruesome. The coroner said the method she used was specifically described in this book.

"It is a dangerous publication and I certainly feel it shouldn't be freely available.”

The Inner West London Coroner expressed concern to the company in December 2023 about the death of Chloe Macdermott, 43, from London. The Coroner said she had bought a substance from Amazon's US site which she had used to kill herself.

Later that month, the Area Coroner for Cheshire wrote to the company after the death of Adrian Gallagher, 19, in Warrington. She expressed concern about a book available from Amazon which was linked to his death.

The BBC is giving no more details about any of the deaths, or what was bought from Amazon, than is available in the public documents issued by the coroners.

Lauren Rolfe from charity Suicide Prevention UK believes the books would have a detrimental effect on vulnerable people

Campaign groups have echoed the coroners' calls.

Suicide Prevention UK, based in Bristol, operates a helpline for people in mental distress and runs patrols.

Charity Administrator Lauren Rolfe believes the availability of the books makes it more likely vulnerable people will take their own lives.

"These people are struggling with their mental health, are in a mental health crisis," she said.

"They will do anything they can to stop the pain and these books being readily available, it's going to support them in their aim."

Some of the books in question are already banned in Australia.

An author of two of the books told the BBC: "It is the right of rational adults to have the information (and means) to end their lives at the time of their choosing, for whatever reason.

"This differs from the ‘medical model’ where illness and degree of suffering are codified to decide if legal assistance to die can be provided."

UK campaign group Dignity in Dying has recently joined broadcaster and journalist Esther Rantzen in urging a change in the law on assisted dying.

They want a system that allows people with less than six months to live to have the right to control their death.

But in a statement they have distanced themselves from the books referred to by the coroners, saying: "The blanket ban on assisted dying protects none of us and forces hundreds of terminally ill people each year to resort to drastic methods to end their suffering.

"Under the law in England and Wales ... it is illegal to ‘assist or encourage a suicide’, which could include offering any advice or information about ending one’s own life.

"Dignity in Dying works within the law, and therefore does not provide information or assistance to people seeking to end their life in the UK."

If you want details of organisations offering information and support then it is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.