Bullied California schoolgirl hangs herself
A GIRL of 13 who was the target of taunts and insults for years at her California school has died after she hanged herself, leaving a message describing herself as “ugly” and a “loser”.
Rosalie Avila hanged herself in her room on November 28 and was rushed to hospital, where she was declared brain dead a day later. The teen was kept on life support until Monday so her organs could be donated.
“My daughter is a victim of bullying,” Rosalie’s mother, Charlene, wrote on the GoFundMe crowdfunding site, in which she sought money for funeral and medical expenses.
“She was a beautiful person inside and out. She was a great artist, very lovable and loving.”
Avila, who was a pupil at a public middle school in the town of Calimesa – about 114km east of Los Angeles – left a farewell note.
“Sorry, Mom and Dad. I love you,” the message read, her father, Freddie, told CBS News.
“And it said, ‘Sorry, Mom, you’re gonna find me like this’,” the grieving father said.
The Avilas said their daughter, who dreamt of being a lawyer, was bullied at school and on social media. On the day before she hanged herself, bullies had made fun of her braces.
“Rose just kept this to herself,” Freddie said. “On the inside, it was just tearing her to pieces.”
According to the New York Post, the parents received a meme via social media taunting them over their daughter’s death.
About 5 900 youths aged 10 to 24 committed suicide in the US in 2015, official figures show.
The Yucaipa-Calimesa school district issued a statement mourning Rosalie’s death. Candlelight vigils were held at the school in her memory.
An investigation was under way into the allegations of bullying at the school, the statement read.
It said the district was “committed to maintaining a positive, inclusive school culture that enables our students to grow academically and socially.”
According to the government-run “Stop Bullying” website, 28% of middle and high school pupils in the US are victims of bullying, and 9% are victims of cyber bullying.
In September, a 15-year-old killed a schoolmate and injured three others at a high school in Washington state, in a case related to bullying.