EE FR FREE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 9 June 2022
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10 Sivan 5782
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Issue No.1266
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@JewishNewsUK
Stronger, prouder, TOGETHER!
UK and Israeli soldiers at Veteran Games, p20 & 21 Photo credit: Vicki Couchman / The Sunday Times / News Licensing
Mia social media evidence ‘deleted’ Detective tells pre-inquest into JFS pupil’s death of teachers’ instruction by Brigit Grant brigit@jewishnews.co.uk
Mariano Janin with a photo of his daughter
A pre-inquest hearing into the death of JFS pupil Mia Janin has heard Snapchat accounts that may contain important evidence were deleted on the instruction of teachers just five days after the 14-year-old took her own life. Detective Inspector Gail Steele, who heads the Metropolitan Police investigation into Mia’s death, informed yesterday’s hearing – which was observed via Zoom by the Janin family – that members of the school’s staff had told pupils to delete the accounts, in line with new regulations giving
schools authority to remove pupils’ social media content. Appeals to social media companies Mia and her classmates used to release key data have not been heeded. The coroner, Andrew Walker, was asked to put these companies on notice for data to be retained to assist the ongoing police investigation. It was also revealed in court that police are waiting for statements from adult witnesses and an unnamed rabbi. The hearing was adjourned until 15 September. Mia took her life in March 2021, one day after returning to the school at the end of lockdown. Her father, Mariano, is now pleading with parents and pupils at the
Kenton school to come forward to help him to find out why. He believes that toxic social media posts or videos may have led to the death of the Year 10 pupil, who fellow students said had been a victim of bullying. “This whole experience has been a nightmare too horrible to explain,” Mariano told The Sunday Times. “Every day feels like I’m living in slow motion. Parents with information – please take it to the coroner. We need to know what happened for the sake of other children and also for Mia. Do not close ranks.” Mia became the third student since 2017 at the Jewish state school to die by suicide. The Continued on page 4