Youth Found Deceased After Untrue Accusations of Stealing Ashes
One 14-year-old boy was found dead only a few days following being wrongly accused of taking the cremated remains of a deceased infant during a burglary, a coroner's inquiry has heard.
Tragic Discovery
Kai Lloyd's mother and father discovered his body in his bedroom at his Flintshire home on 19 November 2021.
Untrue Allegations Begin
The inquest learned how his parent received a communication on November 8th, 2021 via online platforms, from a woman asking if Kai was her offspring. The communication added: "Inform him thanks for breaking into my flat."
In a testimony read to the proceedings, Lisa Lloyd said the individual had been in the media, asserting her infant's remains had been stolen in a break-in - a claim which was untrue.
Police Investigation
An official inquiry from police later determined the supposed break-in complainant had "lied to police" and "it now appears that the items was not stolen in the first place".
Media reports about the supposed taken remains attracted online responses, and although the teenager was not named in the messages, his parent said individuals "understood it was him".
The "social media content were really upsetting", she said.
Mental Wellbeing Effect
She added that her son had been diagnosed with moderate ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other peoples' views really mattered to him.
"This must have affected him severely," she commented, "particularly when this was untrue".
Kai was detained at his residence, but no evidence was discovered. He was transported to a law enforcement facility and later released under investigation.
Police said they would be in touch, the hearing learned, but had failed to contacted the relatives by the time of his death.
Isolation and Worry
His parent said Kai "became isolated" after the arrest and "would keep asking me whether I had received anything from the police", because his ADHD meant sometimes "certain periods could seem like days".
When she spoke to him about the alleged burglary, she said her son informed her he had gone into the house because the resident who lived there had said he could utilize the bathroom anytime he wanted, but denied removing anything.
Online Bullying
In a joint statement between her and her husband, Mrs Lloyd said her son was being bullied digitally after the accusations.
The proceedings heard that one young adult urged the teenager to kill himself.
She had no concerns on the night before he passed away, explaining how she had listened to him "laughing and joking".
She portrayed him as a "compassionate, affectionate" young man, and said her "family is completely shattered".
He had been "clearly hiding his concerns", she stated, noting that he could not bear to have anyone "think bad of him".
School Response
The inquest received testimony from educational personnel at Connah's Quay secondary school.
On 8 November, she "heard some students discussing that Kai had been detained and that was the initial I heard".
"He informed me... he'd was innocent," she added.
After the discussion, the educator said she rang the family's family telephone and provided a voicemail saying she had communicated to Kai about the accusations.
The court heard his parents said they did not receive that communication.
Official Conclusion
Lead coroner told the hearing he would await documents regarding what improvements had been made to dealing with individuals with ADHD, before deciding whether he should make a prevention of future deaths report.
Delivering a descriptive conclusion, he stated: "Approximately November 8th, 2021, unsubstantiated accusations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a young child.
"Likely untruths were afterwards embellished and amplified through the medium of social media.
"On 11 November, he was questioned by the police and after his interview he was released while investigations proceeded."
The coroner determined: "Exists no proof that the actions or failures of any agency led to or contributed to his death and although it was the result of a personal action it is not possible to discern his intent."
