Girl ‘killed by drugs’ after music festival
Teen found dead in bedroom by family members
A 17-YEAR-OLD girl has died in Co. Kildare from what gardaí fear were the effects of taking ecstasy at a music festival last weekend.
The Irish Daily Mail can reveal that family members found the teen dead in her bedroom on Saturday evening.
The young girl, who the Mail is not naming, will be laid to rest today. She had been attending a festival in a neighbouring county where it is believed she took ecstasy, leading to her tragic death.
The teen’s removal took place yesterday as her devastated family and friends came together to pay their final respects to the schoolgirl.
The Mail understands that gardaí suspect the tragic teen succumbed to the effects of the drug after she returned home. A senior source said: ‘The full toxicology report will give gardaí a fuller picture, but within a couple of months there will be preliminary toxicology results that will make the situation clearer to investigators.’
It is understood that after the young girl’s family found her unresponsive in her bedroom on Saturday evening, the emergency services were contacted.
However, the 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. She was then taken to Naas General Hospital where a full post mortem got under way on Tuesday.
The source added: ‘It remains a sudden death investigation. But foul play and suicide are not suspected.’
It is understood that gardaí are currently in the process of interviewing her family and friends in a bid to fully piece together her last movements. However, some of her friends are ‘very distraught’ and gardaí plan to speak to them after her funeral.
Detectives in Kildare may attempt to pursue the person who sold the teen the drug.
‘First it must be fully confirmed, her cause of death. Once that is established, it will be decided what direction the Garda investigation should take,’ said a source.
The sudden death of the 17year-old is the most recent suspected ecstasy death since Ana Hick, 18, from Dún Laoghaire in south Dublin, collapsed outside the Twisted Pepper nightclub on Dublin’s Middle Abbey Street on May 16, 2015.
A file was submitted to the DPP who directed that no charges be brought, Inspector Sharon Kennedy of Store Street Garda Station previously told Dublin City Coroner’s Court.
Ana, who had reportedly ingested three ecstasy tablets on a night out with friends, collapsed at around 3am.
Emergency services performed CPR at the scene. She was rushed to the Mater Hospital and placed in the intensive care unit.
The teenager’s condition deteriorated and she was pronounced dead surrounded by family at around 5pm the following day, May 17.
Ana had been out celebrating the end of her first year in college when she collapsed.
She was due to celebrate her 19th birthday two days after her death.
‘Suicide not suspected’