11yo boy from Dambovita hangs himself, after allegedly playing the Blue Whale game

An 11-year-old boy from Dambovita county hanged himself on Monday, with police officers revealing that the boy used to surf the Internet and say he was playing the Blue Whale controversial game. Investigators seized a PC and two mobile phones from the boy’s house and opened a criminal record for manslaughter. First information point that the boy would have told his colleagues that he is playing the Blue Whale game.

“We don’t know for sure the cause of the death. We seized a PC and two mobile phones for further investigations,” the Dambovita Police spokesperson said.

“Be careful at the websites and Internet games! There are situations when games or other virtual leisure activities have made victims. In case you feel fearsome or threatened by your online “friends”, seek support from the beloved ones or from authorities. Don’t hide your feelings! Beware of the persons on the social media sites. If you notice persons who changed their behavior lately, including online, inform authorities!,” says a press release by the Dambovita Police.

The first Romanian victim of the Blue Whale game was a 19-year-old young girl living in a foster home in Codlea. She would have got a code on her mobile phone and a location hint where she would have been safe to kill herself. The girl has immediately announced the foster home’s managers and the police.

The Blue Whale game, whose end could also lead to the death of the players, was born in Russia where it has already made over 100 victims. It also extended to other countries, including the Republic of Moldova.

The Romanian authorities say that the game is not a phenomenon in Romania but they launched a prevention campaign against it anyway.

Education Ministry proposed to block the game access in Romania. The proposal is to be debated with the Interior ministry’s representatives.

Psychologists say that the reasons that prompt children to resort to such extreme actions through controversial games hide the need to belong to a group and therefore to make dangerous moves to impress and get admiration. Experts warn that teenagers and pre-teens are mostly tempted to join these games.