TIRANA, June 15 – A global online game that lures vulnerable teenagers into doing dangerous tasks and that ultimately leads to suicide has reached Albania with several cases reported.
One teenage girl from the southern city of Gjirokastra told a national television station she was asked to join through a mobile phone on social media then lured and threatened to do the tasks the game administrators asked for, which included cutting herself and sending pictures to the administrators.
Her teacher and friends found out and reported it to the parents and the authorities.
“I played it on my friend’s cell phone. She had the application and we played together. Once started, it was very difficult to stop, although I received the information after I started playing,” the unnamed teen told Top Channel television station. “But it was very hard to quit. The game required us to make dangerous things, such as giving the names, birthdays and other information of my parents. The communication was in English. They requested you to slap your face, and send them pictures of it to prove it. The wanted you to starve, wake up at 4 a.m. and even draw the whale figure with cuts on your arms, even on your wrists.”
The teenage girl warned her peers to stay away from the game.
“I want to tell my peers and their parents to avoid this game, because it is very dangerous. They say that if you die, you win the game and you resurrect, which is untrue,” she said. “If the Blue Whale contacts you on social networks, you must say ‘no’ or report it to the police.”
A Catholic priest in Shkodra, Father Artur Jaku, told his congregation four of his teenage congregants had been contacted to join the game and urged parents to be careful.
“Please, kids that are here, but parents in particular, check on kids’ online activity often. You can’t simply give the child a smartphone or a computer and allow them to do whatever they want. Please be careful,” Father Jaku told his congregation.
Authorities around the world, including in Albania are on high alert of this dangerous game has been linked to at least 130 teen deaths in Russia, where one of the founders was arrested this week.
The Blue Whale suicide game is believed to be an online social media group which is encouraging people to kill themselves.It’s thought a group administrator assigns daily tasks to members, which they have to complete over 50 days.
The horrific tasks include self-harming, watching horror movies and waking up at unusual hours, but these gradually get more extreme.
On the 50th day, the controlling manipulators behind the game reportedly instruct the youngsters to commit suicide.
