A school’s explanation for removing a memorial dedicated to a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide has been exposed as an ‘outright lie’.
Year 7 student Charlotte O’Brien took her own life in September after being relentlessly bullied while attending Santa Sabina Catholic School in the western Sydney suburb of Strathfield.
Following the 12-year-old’s tragic death, Charlotte’s heartbroken family set up a memorial in a tree near the school with a small memorial, a photo and flowers.
But the shrine was removed by the school just a few days later, leaving her heartbroken family devastated.
“Words cannot express how devastated we were,” said Charlotte’s aunt Melinda Rodgers.
Santa Sabina principal Paulina Skerman originally said the monument was removed in the interest of the students.
“On the advice of mental health experts, including Headspace, who are working with the College, we have removed the memorial due to concerns raised about the impact it could have on other young people,” Ms Kerman said.
But 2GB radio presenter Ben Fordham contacted Headspace, who questioned the client’s version of events.
The Year 7 student tragically died by suicide in September
Following the 12-year-old’s tragic death, Charlotte’s heartbroken family set up a memorial in a tree near the school with a small memorial, photo and flowers (photo: Charlotte’s grandfather, Bill, pictured at the memorial)
But the shrine was mysteriously removed just a few days later, leaving her heartbroken family devastated (pictured)
“Headspace has not recommended that Santa Sabina or Paulina Skerman remove the monument honoring Charlotte. To say that it is is an outright lie,” Fordham told his listeners Friday morning.
He added: ‘It never happened. Headspace did not advise Paulina Skerman or anyone else in Santa Sabina to remove it.”
Ms Skerman told Fordham she was referring to “previous written advice shared with the school regarding an appropriate memorial for Charlotte.”
Daily Mail Australia approached Santa Sabina for comment.
Headteacher Ms Skerman previously explained that the school was ‘working with Charlotte’s family to find a permanent and loving way to remember Charlotte’ and promised the 12-year-old would ‘not be forgotten’.
Despite this, Charlotte’s father Mat said he “ran out of words” to describe his feelings about the situation.
“From the school’s perspective, if I had been advised to remove those things, I wouldn’t have touched them,” he told 9News.
Charlotte’s family was critical of Santa Sabrina College after her death and believes the school could have done more to stop the bullying Charlotte experienced before she committed suicide, despite the issue being raised several times.
Paulina Skerman (pictured), principal of Santa Sabina, originally said the monument had been removed in the interests of students following advice from mental health app Headspace
But Ben Fordham branded this an ‘outright lie’ after Headspace denied ever giving that advice
“She wrote a suicide note specifically mentioning that she was bullied at school,” says Charlotte’s mother.
‘She said life was too hard for her to continue.
‘When the most recent case of bullying was raised, the school simply said it had been investigated, but the girls denied this. That’s it. Case closed. Go on.
“Well, my beautiful daughter’s life doesn’t go on and I’ll never be able to say goodbye.
“These issues cannot be swept under the rug. I also won’t let my daughter’s memory be swept under the rug.
‘How many more children have to lose their lives before they get it? How many parents have to feel the pain of never being able to pick up their child from school before they get it?
“We are broken forever.”
Mat said it had taken weeks to arrange a meeting with Ms Skerman after Charlotte’s death.
“That glimmer of hope that something positive would come out of that meeting was dashed when we arrived,” he said.
‘We had to navigate the school grounds surrounded by other girls in their school uniforms, knowing we will never see our daughter again. That was incredibly difficult for us,” he said.
A memorial for Charlotte (pictured) outside the school was removed on Monday, further fueling her parents’ grief
“We got there and met the director. When I shared the feedback, she wasn’t interested in it. The feedback was interrupted. A discount was given. People did not agree.
‘I was sitting across the room from a lady (the director) who showed no emotion or empathy at all for me and the rest of the family.’
Asked whether the director had offered any form of apology for their daughter’s death, Mr O’Brien said: “There was no accountability at all.”
‘The questions we wanted answered were simply not answered at all. We had to show ourselves outside the school premises,” he said.
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