A woman whose 18-year-old daughter took her own life after she was bullied by other teenagers has urged young people in a similar situation to remember that there is always someone they can turn to for help. Barry Roche reports.
Collette Wolfe from Carrigtwohill in Co Cork told how she and her husband, Anthony, were shocked to learn that their daughter, Leanne, had been going through such a terrible time from bullies that she felt she had no alternative but to take her own life.
"I would say to any teenager being bullied, you can talk to people, you can talk to your parents, no matter what's happening to you, they will love you, you can talk to teachers, you can talk to guards, aunts, there are people out there who will listen," said Ms Wolfe.
"I never realised what she was going through until we found her diaries after she died," she said.
Ms Wolfe and her husband were away on holidays when Leanne took her own life on March 23rd. Ms Wolfe discovered Leanne had been bullied for the previous five years by up to six other girls, with the bullying escalating to the point that she had twice tried to kill herself.
"It was both physical and mental. They assaulted her pulling out her hair and hitting her, but she said in her diary that the bruises would heal and what hurt her most was the verbal abuse and the texts they used to send her, calling her names and saying things about her.
"She felt totally isolated and alone and that's something we have to try and deal with because as parents, you feel responsible."
The HSE Suicide Prevention Helpline can be contacted on 1800 742 745.