EXCLUSIVE
The estranged father of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after allegedly being bullied at a Sydney private school was released from prison about 18 months ago after serving more than seven years for a violent crime.
Charlotte O’Brien had recently discovered that her biological father had a criminal past and told her fellow students at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield about what he had done.
Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish details of these breaches.
Charlotte’s mother Kelly claims staff at the Santa Sabina school knew her daughter was being harassed by other first-grade girls before she committed suicide on September 9.
Emails released by Kelly on Wednesday show she had been in regular contact with staff members about Charlotte’s bullying and mental health for two years before the tragedy.
In an August 2022 email, Kelly said she was devastated when she found out Charlotte had told her friends about her father’s past after looking him up on Google.
“I was devastated when I heard what she said to her friends,” her mother told a staff member.
‘The idea that someone else’s actions are still having an impact on my baby years later is very difficult.
Charlotte O’Brien, 12, (pictured) committed suicide earlier this month after reportedly being bullied at school
“But I understand she is considerably older and may now feel the need to confide in her friends.”
She added: ‘I have done everything I can to provide Charlotte with shelter and care and I regularly ask how she is doing and what her plans are on the subject.
And she told me repeatedly that it was no problem.
“So I took this as a reassurance, probably because it was what I wanted to hear, and I made peace with it.”
Daily Mail Australia has learned that Charlotte’s father is now living in the community with a new partner.
His sister posted an emotional tribute to her niece on Instagram last week, saying she would “always be an angel.”
“I have always loved you and always will,” she wrote.
“I hope you are at peace now, sweet girl, and I hope you know how much we love you.”
The tragedy came to light when her family spoke out in an attempt to prevent their daughter’s alleged bullying from being ‘swept under the rug’ by the school.
Charlotte’s parents are devastated by the bullying and say they first reported the bullying to her school two years ago.
During the conversations with the school, Kelly noted that Charlotte was ‘in distress’ due to ‘friendship issues’ and arrangements were made for her to see a counsellor.
Kelly has continued to communicate with staff about her daughter’s well-being over the past two years, with the most recent conversation taking place in August.
On Monday, the school said some of the allegations about the circumstances leading to Charlotte’s death were “new to the college” and “not consistent with our records.”
Kelly and her partner said in a statement to 2GB’s Ben Fordham earlier this week that Charlotte’s death “will haunt us for the rest of our lives”.
They said Charlotte left a note specifically mentioning the bullying she experienced at school.
“There are no words that can describe what it is like for us, and it will never be the same,” they said.
‘When the most recent bullying case came up, the school simply said it was being investigated and the girls denied it. That was it. Case closed. Move on.
‘Well, my beautiful daughter’s life will not go on and I will never be able to say goodbye to her.
“These issues cannot be swept under the rug. I will not allow the memory of my daughter to be swept under the rug.”
Charlotte died a few weeks before her mother was to marry her long-term partner in October.
A few days before the tragedy, Charlotte and Kelly went shopping to pick out their dresses for the wedding.
“Charlotte chose a pink dress and Kelly chose a blue dress,” a source close to the family told Daily Mail Australia.
Charlotte used to love pink and blue colors because blue was her mother’s favorite color and Charlotte loved pink.
Charlotte’s family doesn’t want her alleged bullying to be ‘swept under the carpet’
Pictured: Santa Sabina College in Strathfield, Sydney’s west
In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Santa Sabina College said some claims about the circumstances surrounding Charlotte’s death were “inconsistent” with its records and that its focus was on helping students after the tragedy.
“In the outpouring of grief where everyone is rightly asking how this could have happened, the college asks the media to exercise extreme care in reporting so that no further problems are created for other vulnerable young people in our community and beyond,” the statement said.
‘The college’s highest priority at this time is to support and care for our students, their families and our staff, but also to support this grieving family.
‘While the council supports the idea of raising awareness of mental health issues, we must bear in mind that we are dealing with children and that we must handle this situation with care.’
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