A high court ruling orders a reopened inquest into the death of 14-year-old Jools Sweeney, from Gloucestershire, who died in April 2022. His mother, Ellen Roome, and father, Matt Sweeney, say social media played a role in his death and have pointed to an “online challenge gone wrong,” specifically referring to the TikTok “blackout challenge” that was circulating at the time.
The court’s decision requires fresh consideration of evidence, including material related to social media that previously was not fully included in the original investigation. The ruling is described as landmark, and it directs that the inquest be reopened to allow for a wider review of what was known about the challenge and how it may have been connected to the circumstances of his death.
While the reports focus on the family’s concerns about the impact of the online trend, the reopening of the inquest does not, by itself, determine any final cause of death. It instead sets a process for an updated inquiry into the matter.
