On June 27, a 12-year-old boy from West Yorkshire, UK, named Sebastian Cizman, lost his life after allegedly attempting to recreate a scene from the popular Netflix series Squid Game. He was found hanging in his home and is believed to have been imitating a dangerous challenge to choke himself as a prank.
Investigators suspected that Sebastian’s ‘prankster’ nature and other evidence found on his phone may have led to the challenge gone wrong. The attempted prank reportedly bears similarities to the hit South Korean series and is suspected to be one of many dangerous online challenges targeting youngsters.
Sebastian Cizman’s attempt to recreate a Squid Game scene turned fatal
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Sebastian Cizman was found unresponsive at his family’s house in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, during his younger brother’s First Holy Communion celebrations. His cousin discovered him passed out by the stairs with a sheet around his neck.
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He was rushed to the hospital, where paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced deceased. During the investigation, police found an image of a hanged Squid Game character on Sebastian’s phone, which he had shared on a WhatsApp group on the day of his passing.
Image credits: Katarzyna Cizman
After speaking with his family, the police believed that the 12-year-old was trying to replicate a scene from the series where the aforementioned character took his own life. Sebastian reportedly had also searched videos about administering first aid to yourself after choking.
Image credits: Netflix/IMDB
In the past, he had allegedly pretended to be unconscious while play-fighting. His classmates at St. Wilfred’s Catholic High School described him as a ‘prankster,’ and he was popular for entertaining other students. According to the school’s headteacher, Dr Philip Dore, Sebastian had received 200 positive comments from school staff, which had earned him the ‘star of the class’ title.
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Investigators determined Sebastian Cizman’s demise was a misadventure
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The circumstances surrounding the tragedy led to speculation that Sebastian may have attempted to perform a dangerous online challenge. The child’s parents reportedly told the police that they had previously spoken to him about the dangers of online stunts, and he had assured them he wouldn’t partake in such activities.
Image credits: Katarzyna Cizman
Investigators did not find evidence of Sebastian searching for dangerous challenges or pranks online. Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss, who investigated the case, hypothesized that Sebastian’s demise resulted from his interest in Squid Game and his alleged prankster nature.
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Bayliss’ hypothesis was presented at an inquest at Wakefield Coroner’s Court this week, leading to Assistant Coroner John Hobson calling the incident a result of a “very tragic set of circumstances.”
He concluded that the youngster’s demise was a “misadventure,” which can be defined as a deliberate act that unintentionally went wrong and proved fatal.
Sebastian’s parents called for action against social media platforms over dangerous videos
Image credits: Katarzyna Cizman
Earlier in June, Sebastian’s parents, Marcin and Katarzyna, talked to the Daily Mail and shared their suspicions about their son losing his life because of a dangerous challenge promoted on social media.
Katarzyna said, “They should take the people who are promoting these challenges and put them in prison,” so that there are no fatalities.
“These platforms don’t do anything. It is completely unchecked. They make money, and they don’t care,” she added.
Image credits: Katarzyna Cizman
In February, TikTok was sued by the parents of four British teenagers who lost their lives after allegedly taking part in viral and dangerous trends circulating on the platform. As per the lawsuit, the teens, aged 12 to 14, attempted the infamous “blackout challenge,” which proved fatal.
According to a survey conducted in November by the US-based law firm Omega Law Group, the blackout challenge was reportedly the most dangerous one circulating on social media, reportedly causing more than 100 deaths.
“So so sad.” Netizens were conflicted about the circumstances of Sebastian’s passing
