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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent

Parents of sextortion victim sue Meta for alleged wrongful death

Ros and Mark Dowey, whose 16-year-old son took his own life
Ros and Mark Dowey say the lawsuit is ‘a way to get a wee bit of justice’ for their son Murray. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son, in the first UK case of its kind.

Murray Dowey died in December 2023 at his family home in Dunblane, after being tricked into sending intimate pictures to an Instagram contact. He thought it was a girl his own age, but it turned out to be overseas criminals involved in financially motivated sexual extortion.

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