A new documentary, Molly vs The Machines, premieres on 1 March in select UK cinemas, following the story of Ian Russell and his campaign for stronger online safety following the death of his daughter, Molly Russell, in 2017.
Molly died at the age of 14. In the days after her death, her family discovered that she had been exposed to a significant volume of harmful material on social media relating to depression and self‑harm.
Oliver Sanders KC and Jessica Elliott represented Molly’s family at the inquest into her death, instructed by Merry Varney and Caleb Bawdon of Leigh Day. The Coroner concluded that Molly “died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content.”
The documentary explores the Russell family’s efforts to raise awareness of the risks posed by unsafe online environments and their ongoing work to improve protections for children and young people. The film was written and directed by Marc Siver and includes dramatic reconstructions from the inquest with the part of Oliver played by Neil Maskell.
More information on the documentary is available here and the trailer is available here.
Information on the charity set up by Molly’s family can be found here.
