A 12-year-old schoolboy died after attempting to replicate a scene from the Netflix series Squid Game as a prank, a coroner's inquest has heard.
A Family Celebration Turns to Tragedy
Sebastian Cizman was found unresponsive at his family home in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, on a Friday evening. The discovery was made during celebrations for his younger brother's First Holy Communion. His cousin found him lying motionless on the stairs with a sheet wrapped around his neck.
Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by his parents and later by paramedics, Sebastian could not be revived. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
The 'Prankster' and the Online Influence
The inquest heard Sebastian was a popular boy and a known 'prankster' who loved making his friends laugh. He was a fan of a game based on the dystopian thriller Squid Game. Police found an image on his phone of a character from the show who died by hanging.
Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss told the hearing that Sebastian's interest in the show, the image on his phone, and his 'prankster nature' led to the hypothesis that he was attempting to recreate a scene. The challenge, which encourages self-choking until passing out, has been linked to multiple child deaths globally.
Health experts warn such acts can cause permanent brain damage or death in under five minutes. A police investigation found Sebastian had viewed Squid Game content and had searched YouTube for a first-aid video about 'surviving choking alone,' but found no evidence he had searched for dangerous challenges on TikTok.
A Family's Heartbreak and a Plea for Action
Sebastian's parents, Marcin and Katarzyna (Kasia), described their son as a happy boy with no mental health problems. They believe his death was a tragic accident.
In a powerful statement, they have called for urgent accountability from tech giants. Kasia, 37, 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 for being 'completely unchecked' and pleaded: 'How many kids have to die until they will do something?' Her message to other parents is to check their children's phones 'before it is too late.'
Marcin highlighted how Sebastian, a self-taught classical pianist, was able to sign up for platforms requiring users to be 13 or older 'with no questions asked.'
The tragedy echoes a lawsuit filed in February by the parents of four British teenagers who died in similar circumstances, alleging the Squid Game-inspired 'blackout challenge' on TikTok led to their deaths.
