TORONTO, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A year-long legal challenge by a newspaper led the Toronto Transit Commission to reveal 161 people died jumping in front of subway trains between 1998 and 2009.
The Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner ruled on the side of the Toronto Sun, which argued the publicly funded commission had no right to withhold the information.
During the same time span, 108 others jumped in front of subway trains but survived, the Sun reported.
The transit agency has long held that publicizing suicide statistics may lead to copycats and past releases have said "a vulnerable person with suicidal tendencies may choose to end their life if they read or hear about such an incident in the media."
Meanwhile, transit commission officials said a feasibility study is planned for next year on installing platform edge doors to screen off would-be jumpers, the newspaper said.
Transit commission spokesman Brad Ross said for the past 11 years, two city hospitals has helped train transit staff in suicide detection and prevention, along with support for subway drivers and transit workers who witness suicides, the Sun said.
