The parents of a young girl who took her own life, after a relationship with a fictional boyfriend ended, are calling for catfishing to be criminalised.

Renae Marsden took her own life in 2013 after an SMS relationship with a fake persona ended.

The 20-year-old was in an 18-month-long relationship with a man named Brayden Spiteri, who was supposedly in prison. But during the coronial inquest into Marsden’s death it turned out “Brayden” was, in fact, an alias created by Renae’s ‘friend’ Camilla.

Camilla has told the inquest into Renae’s death that they were both in on the arrangement.

As they wait for the findings of the inquest, Renae’s parents, Mark and Teresa Marsden, tell Ben Fordham catfishing needs to be outlawed.

“If that mentally destroys anybody, at this point in time there’s no law to say you can’t do that.

“If we can save just one person, just one person.”

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