A 12-year-old boy died in what may have been a tragic prank. The incident happened at his family home in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire. An inquest heard the details recently.
The boy was Sebastian Cizman. He was found unresponsive on a Friday evening. His family was celebrating his younger brother’s First Holy Communion.
Sebastian was discovered by his cousin. He was lying motionless on the stairs. A sheet was around his neck. Paramedics tried desperately to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The inquest heard Sebastian was a fan of the Netflix show “Squid Game.” Police found an image on his phone. It was of a character from the show who died by hanging.
Sebastian was described as a popular boy and a “prankster.” He enjoyed making his friends laugh. He had previously pretended to be unconscious during play fights.
Police investigated the circumstances. Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss spoke at the inquest. He said Sebastian’s interest in “Squid Game” and his prankster nature led to a hypothesis. They believe he may have been trying to recreate a scene. They think it was a prank that went terribly wrong.
On the day of his death, Sebastian shared the “Squid Game” image on a WhatsApp group. Police found no evidence he searched for dangerous online challenges. He had, however, watched “Squid Game” content. He also searched YouTube for a first-aid video about “surviving choking alone.”
Sebastian’s parents are Marcin and Katarzyna Cizman. They said their son was a happy boy with no mental health problems. They believe his death was a tragic accident.
In an interview, his mother Kasia called for action. She wants tech giants held accountable for dangerous content online. “They should take the people who are promoting these challenges and put them in prison,” she said. She urged other parents to check their children’s phones.
The family had talked to Sebastian about the dangers of online challenges. He had told them he would not try them.
Sebastian was a self-taught classical pianist. He was able to sign up for social media platforms despite being under the required age of 13. His father, Marcin, said he was “smart enough to wriggle around it.”
His headteacher, Dr. Philip Dore, said Sebastian was a popular and happy pupil. He had received over 200 positive comments from staff. He had been named “star of the class.”
The inquest recorded a conclusion of misadventure. This means death caused by a lawful act that went wrong.
This case follows a lawsuit filed in February. The parents of four British teenagers sued TikTok. They claim a similar online challenge led to the deaths of their children: Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee, 12, Julian ‘Jools’ Sweeney, 14, and Maia Walsh, 13.