Tobias Sylvester
A 14-years-old Australian girl identified as Rochelle Pryor was found dead by her dad in her bedroom moments after posting a cry for help on Facebook.
On the night she tried to kill herself, Rochelle Pryor sent a message to her friends on social media:
“Once I’m gone, the bullying and the racism will stop.”
The sweet girl who adored animals, delighted in practical jokes and dreamt of one day going to university, was desperately reaching out for help.
But it was late and only one friend replied to her post online, and later that night her father Geoffrey found her unconscious in her bedroom.
She was rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital, where she clung to life for nine days. Rochelle later died on January 10th.
Rochelle’s heartbroken parents and siblings are reflecting on her short life and searching for answers about why she chose to end her life.
The girl was doing quite well at school, where she excelled at maths. At home, she loved listening to music and playing with her pet cat Woofster.
Her 17-year-old elder sister Kyanne said Rochelle was “sweet, happy and funny” but was worried that her friends had “turned against her” and she was being bullied. She told The Australian.
“She was really upset by it.”
“There was racism involved – a lot of the time it was just random people who don’t realise what they’re saying.”
Rochelle was involved in an altercation between a man and a group of students outside her school gates in August. She came home with severe cuts on her legs. After that, she told her mother, Wendy Paterson that she didn’t want to go to school anymore.
Ms. Paterson, said her daughter’s mental health went downhill after the altercation.
Rochelle’s death has distressed fellow students at the college. One fellow student wrote on Instagram:
“My vision is so blurry from my tears … come back please.
“The last day we were talking about what colour you should dye your hair and you were thinking about… blue or purple.
“If I knew that was your last day, I would do anything to stop you. I remember telling you whenever you weren’t in the right mindset I would repeat telling you ‘I’m always here for you’.”
