A 12-year-old boy described as the 'star of the class' has died after a prank inspired by the Netflix series Squid Game went tragically wrong. Sebastian Cizman was found unresponsive at his home in Castleford, West Yorkshire, on 27 June, hours after sharing an image of a hanged character from the show on WhatsApp.
An inquest in Wakefield heard that Sebastian had been playing in the garden before going inside, saying he was tired. His cousin later found him unresponsive while bringing him an ice cream. He was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. The medical cause of death was hanging.
Police found an image on Sebastian's phone of a character from Squid Game who is seen hanging. Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss told the inquest that Sebastian's interest in the show, combined with his 'prankster nature', provided a hypothesis that he may have been trying to recreate what he saw. However, his parents, Marcin and Katarzyna, believe his death was a tragic accident.
Assistant coroner John Hobson recorded a conclusion of misadventure, defined as a deliberate act that unintentionally goes wrong. Headteacher Dr Philip Dore described Sebastian as a popular, happy pupil who was good at making his class laugh. The inquest heard no evidence of dangerous online challenges, despite initial speculation.
