Dad of Charlotte O’Brien breaks his silence after little girl was bullied to death at her school in Sydney

The stepfather of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after persistent bullying has expressed deep sorrow as he responded to the school’s “disappointing” response.

Charlotte O’Brien, a first-year student at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield, Sydney’s west, committed suicide earlier this month after two years of suffering during which she says her classmates used confidential information to bully her.

Her mother Kelly and stepfather Mat are now trying to get their lives back on track and are sharing their story in the hope that no other family is affected by such a tragedy.

Charlotte wanted her story to be told. She left notes in small pink letters for her parents, urging them to ‘tell the school’ about her suffering and that life was ‘too hard’.

According to Mat, the response from the entire school community has been “overwhelming,” with parents and classmates sending heartwarming letters, cards and home-cooked meals.

But he added that he has not heard anything from Santa Sabina since his daughter’s death.

“Apart from the reactions from the wider school community, I have to say I am disappointed to say the least with the reactions coming from the school,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“One of their comments was about inconsistencies in their data. I felt it was unnecessary to make that comment at a time when we were grieving.”

Mat added that the school’s statement included a sentence saying other parents had contacted them and indicated their children felt safe and supported at the school.

“You know, those mothers who have been providing school support, they are definitely planning on picking up their daughter from school today, but we are not,” Mat said.

“It was heartbreaking. That said, I would still like to have the opportunity to meet the school when the time is right.

“If I thought it was really well-intentioned, I would like to meet someone.”

Santa Sabina College Principal Paulina Skerman previously defended the school’s handling of the matter of bullying and said their anti-bullying policy was available on their website.

“Over the past week, I have been overwhelmed by the number of emails and messages from our families expressing how their children feel safe and cared for at Santa Sabina College and expressing their dismay at the way our school is being portrayed as failing to address issues that are causing stress for our students,” she said in a statement.

‘Our students and families are well informed about the policies and procedures for reporting and resolving concerns, and they clearly demonstrate how the university responds promptly and appropriately to any concerns.

‘As a Catholic Dominican school, the evangelical values ​​of love, compassion and inclusivity are central.

“If we say that there is a culture of bullying at the university, that is contrary to the structure that holds our community together.

‘Every staff member at the school is passionate about caring for your child, as is evident from the many messages I have received from our families.

“We continue to work with our children to teach them how to report serious issues and develop strategies to cope with life’s complexities,” the statement said.

The university added that its aim was to “support Charlotte’s family in their unimaginable grief,” as well as other students and their families.

“We continue to work with Headspace and other providers to ensure we have the most supportive and safest practices for our community at this time.”

Mat said he and his wife Kelly are “devastated” after Charlotte’s death.

“Kelly and I say to ourselves every morning, ‘Let’s just go to bed,’” he told the morning radio show.

“Losing our little girl at the age of 12 is something we will never get over.”

Mat said his daughter’s last wish was to raise awareness with her story.

“I am not seeking retaliation for these girls, I expect the schools to step in and take action when problems first arise,” he said.

“I know these are difficult conversations for all of us, but we must have them today.”

Mat described Charlotte as someone who was incredibly selfless and who saved her own birthday presents to buy gifts for her loved ones.

When she heard that her mother was pregnant with her little brother Will, she fell to the floor and said it was the best present she could ever ask for.

Mat, who is not Charlotte’s biological father, added that the day Charlotte got to call him ‘daddy’ was one of the happiest moments of his life.

“We will never celebrate her 13th birthday and I will never teach her to drive,” he continued.

‘She will never get her degree, she wanted to go to Macquarie University even though she couldn’t pronounce the word Macquarie.

“We’ll never see her graduate, I’ll never walk her down the aisle. She wanted seven children, her own big family, and I’ll never meet her grandchildren.

“Our family is broken.”

Charlotte will be buried on Friday.

For confidential support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800