Even if she is charged for manslaughter, it should be for voluntary manslaughter, since she definitely had the intent of driving him to suicide. I don't see any reason why this should be considered involuntary manslaughter, as everything that occurred was very much voluntary. Just because it's a lighter charge doesn't mean that it's right for this situation.

The person inciting him was his girlfriend, a person anyone would assume cares for him and wants to see him live if not thrive and not some online rando. Lock her up.

honestly, she wanted him to kill himself. some people are just really fucked up. she should go straight to jail for deliberately killing that dude. his poor family. she should either be not let near any person for the rest of her life, or just jail. she is dead inside

While I agree with Oztra that she's twisted, I side with leon on the criminal issue. If you let yourself be influenced into killing yourself, it's your own fault.

That is pretty sick behaviour on her part, but manslaughter?

To me this is a case of bullying leading to someone's suicide, the girlfriend aspect doesn't fundamentally change that, so whatever relevant laws (if any) should apply.

@"The other person bears no responsibility." -asshat.

@"The other person bears no responsibility." -asshat.
I think he was talking about criminal responsability that is far strict then civil responsability. But the person is a disgusting piece of shit, just can't see a court convicting her on manslaughter.

Leon and Zmaj - are you listening to yourselves!? If a person is depressed / has very low self esteem / maybe other issues -- that person not fully able to just ignore someone ... especially a supposed love one who you'd count on for support. Pretty twisted of you guys to say 'the person is a dumbass for killing themself". Wow. Two of you should maybe volunteer at a suicide hotline for a day. On 2nd thought -- strike that. Please don't actually.

@"I think he was talking about criminal responsability that is far strict then civil responsability. But the person is a disgusting piece of shit, just can't see a court convicting her on manslaughter."

I'll let him speak for himself. But i believe he is expressing his opinion that nothing you say to anybody, no matter the circumstances has any moral implications for you. Because what they do is always their responsibility.

And i think that makes him an asshat.

Bladerunners, I never said the guy was a dumbass. But I should correct myself anyway. I said it was his own fault. I should have said it was his own *choice*. The freedom to take one's life is among the rare true freedoms that a human being has available at all times.

In fact, we've been brainwashed by Christianity into believing that suicide is something reprehensible. But the issue is very complex, with the greatest philosophers disagreeing about it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy of suicide

As a Christian, I must disagree with that. Suicide is certainly a sin. However, God did give us free will to sin, so again the choice is entirely his own.

"Suicide is certainly a sin."

What a statement! We're not all Christians here, so your religious certainties mean nothing.

So i can agree with Zmaj as far as suicide not being a sin.

But on Leon's side, suicide may still be illegal. And encouraging others to commit suicide even more so.

There is fairly little reason to make suicide illegal, but you can still ban bullying others until the kill themselves.

Contrast perhaps with sex work - there is little reason to ban sex work, but people should not be forced into it, and sex slavery/transportation of individuals into a country (where they become illegal aliens, with little protection from the law) should remain illegal.

You want to use your 'god given rights' or fundamental human rights, or free will, or whatever, to make decisions for yourself, that is fine; you want to coerce others into taking actions which may be harmful to themselves, that is not fine.

I think that principle generalises fairly well (i might even suggest generalising to smoking marijuana vs advertising marijuana...).

This is interesting.

I think there is some grounds for her to be convicted. To me, there isn't much difference between this and being a conspirator to murder. Say Person A and Person B develop a plot to murder person C. Person B then goes and murders Person C. Surely Person A is culpable. Why would that change if Person B and C were the same person?

"Why would that change if Person B and C were the same person?"

It all depends on whether you count suicide as murder.

If person A and B plan to kill person B, then I'd call that assisted suicide.

Lol we're crossing into euthanasia here.

"It all depends on whether you count suicide as murder" That's an interesting idea.

I guess I would say yes because it is a willful taking of one's life. If you kill someone simply because you hate them, that would be murder. Is the motive for suicide any different?

I mean every life is invaluable. Why should taking your own life be any different, as if your own life isn't worth the same?

I am looking only the law point of view, as moral and religious belief are subjective. Suicide isn't a crime, you can't be the victim and the author. Assisting suicide is a crime in most places, but it isn't manslaughter.

She appears to be an evil and despicable person. I don't think you can convict her of any criminal wrongdoing though. She gave bad counsel in an impersonal setting, that's not illegal.

And then there's this shit:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/inventor-suicide-game-blue-whale-10394932

"Blue Whale" might be a sign of the times. When the crisis in Yugoslavia was gathering steam, everybody was talking about "Black Rose", a teenage suicide cult. If I remember correctly, there was something similar when the real estate bubble blew in Japan. "Blue Whale" has appeared in Russia, where God knows what is boiling under Putin's lid.

@"Suicide isn't a crime,"

not only is it a crime in many jurisdictions, there was a time when the punishment for suicide was the death penalty (though i can't find data on whether this is still the case anywhere).

@Blue whale, i love that wikipedia links to this snopes article within the opening references to this 'game' : http://www.snopes.com/blue-whale-game-suicides-russia/

"there was a time when the punishment for suicide was the death penalty"

Lol it's a joke and you fell for it.

If the leader of a suicide cult dies with his followers, a la Jonestown or Heaven's Gate, that's one thing. If they survive without intending to ever die, they are culpable on some level.

Idk why I said impersonal, I meant informal (as in an unprofessional capacity)*