A 12-year-old schoolboy died in a tragic accident after apparently attempting to replicate a scene from the Netflix series Squid Game as a prank, an inquest has heard.
A Family Celebration Turns to Tragedy
Sebastian Cizman was found unresponsive at his family's terraced home in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, on a Friday evening. The discovery was made during celebrations for his younger brother's First Holy Communion, a day his mother described as "absolutely happy".
Sebastian's cousin found him lying motionless on the stairs with a sheet from a duvet wrapped around his neck. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by his parents and later paramedics, he was pronounced dead in hospital.
The 'Prankster' and the Online Influence
The hearing was told Sebastian was a popular boy and a known 'prankster' who enjoyed making his friends laugh. He was a fan of a game based on the dystopian thriller Squid Game.
Police investigating his death found an image on his phone of a character from the show who was found hanging. He had also shared this image on a WhatsApp group on the day he died. While there was no evidence he had searched for dangerous challenges on TikTok, he had viewed Squid Game content and searched YouTube for a first-aid video about 'surviving choking alone'.
Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss told the inquest the boy's interest in the show, the image on his phone, and his "prankster nature" led to the hypothesis that he was attempting to recreate something he had seen.
A Call for Accountability and Vigilance
Sebastian's heartbroken parents, Marcin and Katarzyna (Kasia), have spoken out to warn other families of the dangers lurking on children's phones. They believe his death was a tragic accident.
In a powerful statement, Kasia, 37, an office clerk, said: "They should take the people who are promoting these challenges and put them in prison, so no other child dies." She criticised social media platforms, stating, "These platforms don't do anything. It is completely unchecked. They make money and they don't care."
She urged other parents: "Check your children's phones before it is too late." The inquest heard Sebastian's family had previously discussed the dangers of online challenges with him, and he had said he would not try them.
Sebastian, a self-taught classical pianist described by his headteacher as a popular, happy and funny pupil, had no history of self-harm or mental health problems. He was able to access social media platforms despite them requiring users to be at least 13 years old.
This case follows a lawsuit filed in February by the parents of four British teenagers against TikTok, linking their children's deaths to a similar online challenge.
