A YOUTUBE star has prompted a furious backlash after posting a video showing the body of an apparent suicide victim in Japan.
22-year-old Logan Paul, who has over 15 million subscribers to his channel, uploaded a video of himself and friends exploring the Aokigahara forest.
The group are shown laughing and joking as they make their way through the area, which is known for having a high suicide rate.
They find the body of an apparent victim, which is pixelated out in the video, before alerting emergency services to the situation.
Paul and his friends filmed the aftermath and their reactions to the find, which include Paul asking a friend who said he didn’t feel good: “what you never stand next to a dead guy?’
Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul was among several high profile figures to condemn Paul’s posting of the video.
He wrote on Twitter: “How dare you! You disgust me. I can’t believe that so many young people look up to you. So sad. Hopefully, this latest video woke them up. You are pure trash. Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell.”
The video also prompted a furious backlash on social media worldwide.
Jonny Sharples wrote on Twitter: “I’m sorry but you don’t record videos in something known as the “Japanese Suicide Forest” and show dead bodies under the guise of suicide prevention. There’s people doing amazing, educated, and considerate work in that area – don’t sully genuine activism with poor excuses.”
CALM: @theCALMzone
Samaritans: @samaritans
Mind: @MindCharity
PAPYRUS: @PAPYRUS_tweets
Time To Change: @TimetoChange
Heads Together: @heads_together
Maytree: @MaytreeSavingLiAnd that's just a handful of UK organisations. All, I'm sure, that would love your support.
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) January 2, 2018
Francis Maxwell wrote: “The worst part is Logan Paul’s cult fan base is little children. Who just watched their idol laugh and joke as someone ended their life. Garbage person.”
Anna Akana responded: “Dear @LoganPaul, When my brother found my sister’s body, he screamed with horror & confusion & grief & tried to save her. That body was a person someone loved. You do not walk into a suicide forest with a camera and claim mental health awareness.”
In an apology posted on his Twitter account, Paul admitted the video was ‘wrong’ and that his intention was to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
Dear Internet, pic.twitter.com/42OCDBhiWg
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 2, 2018
The video has since been deleted from his account.
The Akigahara forest, at the foot of Mount Fuji, has seen hundreds of suicides in recent years.
Local volunteers and emergency services regularly patrol the area and have erected signs in a bid to offer support and guidance to anyone that needs it.
If you are in need of help or advice, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
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