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Police Investigate 12-Year-Old’s Death in Viral Scarf Challenge as Parents Demand Accountability

Authorities have begun examining his phone to establish how the dangerous blackout trend reached a child

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Overview

  • Sebastian Cizman, 12, was found unresponsive at his Castleford home on June 27 and later pronounced dead in hospital.
  • West Yorkshire Police have opened coroner’s inquiries into his death, which is not being treated as suspicious.
  • Investigators have begun examining his phone to determine how he encountered the dangerous “scarf challenge.”
  • His parents have publicly demanded legal accountability from social media companies and called for stricter safeguards against harmful viral content.
  • The blackout challenge has been linked to at least 20 child deaths worldwide since 2022, and a February lawsuit against TikTok by parents of four British teenagers underscores mounting pressure for platform reform.