Watch: Georgia Police Say It's Impossible to Take Down Video of 12-Year-Old Katelyn Nicole Davis's Suicide
On December 30, Katelyn Nicole Davis, 12, recorded a live stream in which she alleged she had been sexually abused by a family member and then hung herself
Katelyn has chronicled a history of depression and family abuse on her YouTube and Instagram accounts, which have since been removed.
However, many of her online diary entries and video blogs have been reposted to a Facebook page called "Justice for Katelyn Nicole Davis."
Polk County Police Chief Kenny Dodd said he can't get people to stop sharing the video to social media and websites
As a result, the Polk County police department has sent a Facebook message asking for everyone to help them report and remove any videos of Katelyn's suicide
The request made by the police department has incited a debate about the ethics of Facebook's community standards policy. Although the police said they cannot get the videos taken down, they hope members of the community will be vigilant in flagging the post online.
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Some people believe that the video should be shared because Katelyn wanted her story to be public
Whereas others believe that sharing the video is disrespectful to the family and is not appropriate for public view
As the Polk County police work to get the videos removed, they are also investigating Katelyn's sexual abuse allegations
Prior to the suicide, Katelyn reportedly said that the person who sexually abused her also said she should kill herself. If police substantiate those claims, the family member could also be charged for her death.
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