Trigger warning: This story contains content that may be distressing to some.
A ten‑year‑old girl from New South Wales has had her young life cut heartbreakingly short, found dead by her six‑year‑old sister in a moment that will haunt the family forever. Her death, believed to be by suicide, is being linked to relentless bullying—both at school and online—that slowly chipped away at her spirit.
Emergency crews were called to the home on July 9 after the six‑year‑old girl told her mum she thought her sister wasn’t breathing in her bedroom.
Panicked and terrified, the mother rushed to the door, only to find it wouldn’t budge—her daughter’s lifeless body resting against it on the other side. When she finally managed to push it open, she found her little girl unresponsive.
The family desperately performed CPR, clinging to hope as they waited for paramedics to arrive.
She was airlifted to Sydney Children’s Hospital, where medics were able to restart her heart. But despite their efforts, the young girl never regained consciousness. She passed away two days later.
The unimaginable pain of that discovery has shattered her family. Her little sister, just a child herself, is now carrying a trauma no six‑year‑old should ever have to bear. Her parents are left grappling with a grief so deep, it defies words—and with the gut‑wrenching knowledge that their daughter suffered in silence, feeling alone and unheard.
I just can’t begin to understand how this family must be feeling, and our hearts go out to them at this tragic time.
They say the bullying was constant and cruel. And sadly, this isn’t an isolated case. According to NSW’s Bullying No Way campaign, one in four students in Years 4 to 9 experience bullying at least every few weeks. Behind every statistic is a child, and behind every child is a family whose world could be turned upside down in an instant.
Echoes of Charlotte’s Tragic Story
This tragedy weighs heavily against the backdrop of other recent cases. In September 2024, Sydney’s 12‑year‑old Charlotte O’Brien died by suicide after enduring years of torment at her school, Santa Sabina College in Strathfield. Her grieving mother, Kelly, told 7NEWS she had “begged” the school to intervene, sending urgent messages as early as August 2022.
“My beautiful girl took her own life last night because of the relentless friendship issues she faced… I was scared to label it bullying but that’s exactly what it was. I begged the school to intervene with these girls and now she is gone forever.”
School authorities have since faced scrutiny over their handling of complaints, and former students have described a culture that labelled bullying as “friendship issues”, treating victims as a disciplinary inconvenience.
Rising Mental‑Health Issues Among Young Australians
Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows nearly 40 percent of Australians aged 16–24 experienced a mental‑health disorder, such as anxiety, depression or substance use between 2020 and 2022 .
Young women were particularly affected, with almost half (45.5 percent) reporting a condition, compared to 32.4 percent of young men .
For younger teens (15–19), intentional self‑harm hospitalisations are alarmingly high at around 308 per 100,000 in 2022–23—the highest of any age group . While completed suicides are rarer among children under 14, numbers remain concerning: in 2023, there were 94 deaths by suicide among those aged 17 and under, mostly in the 15–17 bracket .
According to Lifeline, suicide is now the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15–44, an average of nine lives lost each day . In Western Australia, suicides accounted for 36.5 percent of all deaths among 15–24‑year‑olds in 2023.
National Impact and Calls to Act
While some schools revise their wellbeing policies, experts say systemic change is still overdue. The death of Charlotte led to federal lobbying for clearer anti‑bullying standards in schools.
Similarly, Dolly Everett—a Northern Territory teenager who died in 2018 after sustained cyber‑bullying—remains a rallying point. Her parents launched Dolly’s Dream and the annual “Do It for Dolly Day” to raise awareness and encourage kindness.
More Hidden Stories of Schoolyard Bullying
Beyond these headline cases, lesser‑known tales still highlight the scale of the issue:
- In Townsville, 12‑year‑old Adiel Boyd ended her life just after Christmas, citing online and in‑person bullying as contributing factors.
- In Brisbane, 12‑year‑old Ella Catley‑Crawford took her life after being targeted by bullies who catfished her and shared her personal photos online. Just days before her death, Ella posted on a secret TikTok account, “Crying nearly every day, but other people have it worse.”
- And on Mum Central, 14‑year‑old Adriana, whose suicide followed a school hallway assault that was later shared online, and Michael, a 13‑year‑old who made a suicide attempt after sustained bullying.
Why It Matters
These stories reveal a familiar pattern: persistent bullying—both in person and online—combined with inadequate school responses and poor mental‑health support are common threads. For bullied kids, the risk is real: a child who experiences bullying is more likely to suffer depression, anxiety or worse.
Calls for action are growing louder:
- Schools grasp the need for clearer protocols, more counsellors, and concrete steps to prevent bullying.
- Legislation like Victoria’s Crimes Amendment (Bullying) Act 2011 (Brodie’s Law) enables serious bullying to be prosecuted—sending a message that abuse is punishable by law.
- Support networks such as Dolly’s Dream and Kids Helpline work to help families and children facing cruelty.
What Can Be Done?
There’s no single solution, but a united front must include:
- Timely school intervention – taking all complaints seriously without dismissing them as “friendship issues.”
- Stronger online safety laws, as seen in Dolly’s Dream advocacy and UK proposals for under‑16 social media bans  .
- Enhanced access to mental-health support – via school counsellors, parents, and helplines.
- Community engagement – empowering children, parents and teachers to work together in preventing, reporting and responding to bullying.
We Can Shape a Safer Future
Bullying isn’t just a schoolyard problem, it’s a mental health issue with real risks. And while rates of distress and self harm among young Australians are increasing, so too is awareness and access to help. With schools, families, communities and governments working together, we can protect our kids.
1 Comment
If the bullying at school isn’t acted upon when reported by the victim or parents maybe the Police should be notified