Heartbreaking secret last messages from schoolgirl Ella Catley-Crawford who took her own life after months of bullying at elite private Lourdes Hill College

EXCLUSIVE

A 12-year-old schoolgirl who committed suicide after months of relentless bullying on Snapchat poured her heart out in heartbreaking videos just before her death.

Ella Catley-Crawford died in hospital on Saturday a week after her suicide attempt, after nine months of misery at the hands of students who caught her.

The bullying started after Ella, from Manly Brisbane, received an academic scholarship to Lourdes Hill College, an elite private girls’ school, in February this year.

Her “hyper-vigilant” mother Julie Crawford, 55, moved her to public school Redlands College after just one semester, but says the damage had already been done.

“She was instantly happier and the new school was great, but the bullies still reached her through the apps,” Ms Crawford told Daily Mail Australia.

Leading up to her death, Ella shared her daily struggles through multiple emotional TikTok posts on a secret account she had kept hidden.

Ella posted a selfie of a single tear on her cheek and the heartbreaking caption revealed her pain, but with each tear she added: ‘Other people have it worse.’

“No one really likes me, but other people have it worse,” she wrote just three days before she attempted suicide.

“I literally have so much trouble with it, but other people have it worse,” she added. ‘Can barely get out of bed, but other people have it worse.

‘Not really food, but other people have it worse. Crying almost every day, but other people have it worse.’

With other tragic posts referencing losing friendships, her appearance and self-harm, friends have since flooded the comments sections.

“The signs we all missed – I’m so sorry Ella, you didn’t deserve this,” said a friend.

“This makes me cry, the signs were there,” another added.

Ella’s last post was at 3am on the morning her mother found her lifeless body at home.

“I have nothing to post, #Imissyou,” it said.

The 12-year-old’s torment came as no surprise to her devoted mother had given Ella her old phone Christmas to entertain her on the bus to and from school.

She had her banned apps like Tiktok and Snapchat, bWhen Ella started seventh year, she noticed her daughter glued to her phone screen.

“At first I thought she was just texting her new friends,” she said.

“I knew they had a Year Seven group chat, but it was Snapchat.

‘I had her remove it straight away, even though she told me she was safe.

“I don’t know how, but she created another account and hid it from me.”

Despite Ms Crawford’s repeated attempts to stop Ella’s use of social media, the bullying quickly escalated, regularly leaving her daughter in tears.

Then in March, Ms Crawford, an HR manager, received a call from the school claiming concerns had been raised that Ella, who was 11 at the time, had bullied other pupils online.

“I told them, ‘I don’t think so,’ that they were wrong and they investigated further,” she said.

Days later, three year 7 girls were suspended from Lourdes College for bullying Ella online.

The school never gave Ms. Crawford the details of their findings, but the damage had been done, her mother said.

“I don’t know exactly what it was all about,” she added.

‘People had pretended to be people they weren’t, a girl pretended to be a boy and messages Ella sent to them were shared with others.

“Friends started to pull away from her and she wasn’t invited to a birthday party, with some kids saying they needed a break, that it was too much, that she was too much.”

Parents of Lourdes Hill College students were alerted to Ella’s death by principal Kay Gleeson by email on Tuesday, calling it ‘devastating news’.

She added: “We have a zero-tolerance policy against bullying.

”The well-being of our students remains our top priority and we strive to provide a caring, safe and supportive environment.

“The coming weeks will be particularly difficult and community members may respond differently to this tragedy.

“We understand that our community will have many questions about this. However, out of respect for those affected, I ask that any speculation or discussion be avoided.”

Mrs Crawford moved her “bright and strong-willed” daughter to Redlands College at the end of her first term in April.

But although Ella was immediately happier and made new friends, she couldn’t escape the online abuse that followed her.

“Ella was so down that I took her to the doctors and she was diagnosed with depression and put on medication,” her mother told Daily Mail Australia.

“But I made sure I was always there and that we had things to do to keep her occupied.”

Mrs. Crawford says that when her daughter was distracted by things to look forward to, her “best friend and love of her life” was her former happy self.

But once she left her phone behind, things quickly changed.

“Some days during the holidays she wouldn’t get out of bed,” her mother said.

“I just hoped it wouldn’t get worse, but I never expected her to commit suicide.”

Mrs Crawford found her daughter apparently lifeless on Sunday, October 27, and began CPR while she waited for paramedics.

Ella was rushed to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane and was on a ventilator for a week before doctors confirmed she had no brain activity.

Queensland Police have Ella’s phone and iPad and are now investigating her death.

On Monday, Redlands College principal Andrew Johnson sent a text message to parents of year seven students with details of a special counseling service.

Students in Ella’s year were told of her death on the same day.

“The college will not make any formal announcements for other year levels but will invite parents to decide if and when to share this news with their son or daughter,” Mr Johnson added.

Ella’s heartbroken mother says she has nothing left without her, so she will now dedicate herself to raising awareness in the hope she can help others.

Her family has one GoFundMe to help pay funeral costs, take time off to grieve and raise awareness.

“Bullying on social media is real,” the fundraising appeal adds.

‘If you ask if we are angry: yes, we are. If you ask if we are sad: absolutely. And if you’re asking if the system failed her: it did.

“This catastrophic reality has changed our family’s history forever.

‘Social media and online presence pose real dangers, and despite our best efforts to protect our children, technology can become an addictive lifeline, especially if they feel isolated.’

If you or someone you know needs support, please contact Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36.