However, the inquest heard about extensive international police efforts to contact Peterson to try to establish information about the contents of the message.
The PSNI began enquiries into the matter in August 2020 and finally received a message in January 2021 stating that there were no outgoing messages on Peterson’s Instagram account on the relevant date, 21 June 2020.
However, the inquest was told that prior to the conclusion of lengthy international enquiries into the matter, the PSNI had received the support of the Canadian High Commission in London, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Interpol.
International police teams learned during their enquiries on behalf of the PSNI that Peterson had been ill in a hospital in Serbia after contracting Covid in August 2020, the inquest was told.
The hearing was also told that police in Canada had gone to Peterson’s home and to the University of Toronto during a period when international investigators were unable to get a response from the author.
At the inquest on Thursday, a barrister for Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, questioned the witness, Karen Curran, about the extent of the police enquires into the matter including the involvement of Interpol.
Curran explained that PSNI investigators were anxious to try to find out if there had been any contact between Noah and Peterson because of the boy’s known interest in the book ’12 Rules for Life’.
She said the police wanted to know if Peterson could potentially provide any information about the matter that could assist their investigation.
The conclusion of the international enquiries confirmed that there was no social media contact between Peterson and Noah Donohoe.