Presenters Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley shared a heartbreaking story on Thursday's edition of Good Morning Britain, detailing a landmark legal case following the death of a Scottish teenager.
A Family's Fight for Justice
During the broadcast on December 18, the hosts informed viewers about the tragic death of 16-year-old Murray Dowey from Dunblane. The teenager took his own life in December 2023 after falling victim to a sextortion scam on Instagram.
"His mum and dad, Ros and Mark, claim the trillion-dollar company privatised profit over safety," Kate revealed. "They are taking legal action against the internet giant Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son." Richard Madeley added that this is believed to be the first UK case of its kind.
The Devastating Scam
Richard explained the circumstances: "Murray Dowey was comprehensively tricked by scammers on Instagram, which of course is owned by Meta. He thought he was sending intimate pictures of himself to a teenage girl roughly his own age, but he wasn't. He was sending them to a gang."
The moment the criminals received the images, they blackmailed the young boy. Tragically, Murray succumbed to the pressure. His parents firmly believe that Meta missed crucial opportunities to protect teenagers on its platforms.
Parents Channel Grief into Action
Correspondent Juliet Dunlop, reporting from Dunblane, stated: "Ros and Mark Dowey should be looking forward to spending Christmas with their son, but instead, they are taking on the world's biggest social media company Meta on his behalf."
In an emotional interview recorded last year, Murray's father, Mark, expressed his devastation: "One of the reasons it's so devastating is it comes into your house, exactly where Murray should have been safest, in his room asleep... I can't believe he's gone."
The family has campaigned to raise awareness of sextortion, a crime which is sadly on the rise. Their lawyers claim Meta knew of safety features that could have prevented the tragedy prior to Murray's death.
Murray's mother, Ros, issued a defiant statement: "They could have prevented the death of Murray, our son. He would be here if the product had been fixed. I know what we're taking on, we're taking on one of the biggest global organisations. Bring it on."
If you were affected by the issues raised in this story, organisations which can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.
