Suicide victim’s parents share blame, lawyer says
The parents of a Saratoga girl who killed herself after photos of her alleged sexual assault were texted to classmates share responsibility for the death, according to a legal filing by attorneys for one of several teenage boys being sued by the parents.
The parents failed to seek “professional help” for Audrie Pott’s “longstanding and serious emotional problems” long before her suicide in September 2012 at age 15, according to the court filing, which drew an outraged response from a lawyer for Lawrence and Sheila Pott.
The boy’s attorney, Philip Pereira, also wrote that Audrie’s suicide came shortly after an “altercation” between the girl and two of her friends. He did not elaborate in the filing in Santa Clara County Superior Court, and declined to comment further on Wednesday.
The parents’ attorney, Robert Allard, responded in a statement, “The sole issue in this case is the callous behavior of the suspects which directly led to Audrie’s unnecessary death. Since this lawsuit was filed, it has become quite clear to us that the suspects refuse to accept responsibility or show remorse for their actions.”
Allard called the defense filing “a revolting attempt to deflect responsibility away from his clients. This case is and will always be about the tragic consequences associated with sexual assault and cyber bullying.”
Audrie hanged herself Sept. 10, 2012, in a bathroom at her mother’s house, eight days after she went to a party at a friend’s house in Saratoga with 12 other students. After drinking alcohollaced Gatorade, she fell asleep and woke up without her shorts on and with mocking words written in several places on her body.
Over the next week, Audrie learned that cellphone photos had been taken of her during the assault and shared through text messages, her family said.
Three boys are facing criminal charges of penetration with a foreign object, possession of child pornography and sexual assault. Police are releasing few details, including the suspects’ names, because the case involves minors, and they are being tried as juveniles.