The grieving father of a 12-year-old girl who killed herself claims his daughter’s school principal showed “no empathy” at a meeting after her death.
Charlotte O’Brien, a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield in Sydney’s inner west, took her own life on September 9.
Charlotte’s parents, Matthew and Kelly, revealed that their daughter was subjected to relentless bullying over a two-year period, which drove her to helpless despair.
Her parents condemned the school for sweeping the issue of bullying under the carpet – a claim the school vehemently denies.
Mr O’Brien told 2GB host Ben Fordham on Tuesday that it took weeks to organize a meeting with school principal Paulina Skerma.
He explained that Mrs. Skerma only approached him and his wife after hearing him on Fordham’s breakfast show in the days leading up to Charlotte’s funeral.
On the evening of the funeral, Mr O’Brien emailed the principal and was told she would not be able to meet as the school would be closed for a few weeks.
“I went to that meeting with a glimmer of hope that in the last few weeks they had had a chance to talk about what had happened and whether there had been any kind of positive change,” he said.
‘But I also wanted her to know directly, on behalf of the family, how disturbing the comments she had made in the media were and how they made us feel and how even by making us wait to meet the school again made us feel like a family.
“That glimmer of hope that something positive would come from that meeting was dashed as soon as we arrived.
‘The gates of the school were closed. We weren’t even met at the school gate. We didn’t know where to go.’
Charlotte O’Brien (pictured), a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield in Sydney’s inner west, took her own life on September 9
Charlotte’s parents, Matthew and Kelly, revealed that their daughter was subjected to relentless bullying over a two-year period, which drove her to helpless despair.
Tuesday October 29 marked fifty days since Charlotte committed suicide.
Mr. O’Brien choked back tears as he recalled walking through the school full of children their daughter’s age.
‘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.
“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.
“The last image I’ll have of that school was when I looked back: Kelly was carrying some of Charlotte’s things and it was one of the hardest things I’ve seen to see her carrying herself and that box through those locked gates squirmed.
“Kelly got in the car and that was the worst I’d seen her since the funeral. She said to me, “I felt like my daughter’s life didn’t matter.”
A memorial for Charlotte outside the school was removed on Monday, further fueling her parents’ grief.
Charlotte’s parents claim the school refused to take responsibility for Charlotte’s bullying after their meeting with her former principal, Paulina Skerma (pictured)
“I know I need to focus my attention on those who want to do better. There are a number of schools and institutions that are really taking this seriously and making positive changes,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I need to turn my attention to them and encourage them to continue on this journey.
‘…We were able to meet with the NSW Government’s senior policy advisor, we were able to meet with Chris Minns himself and his office, we were able to have a conversation with the Prime Minister of this country on these important topics.
“All before we had the opportunity to meet the principal of the school.”
The grieving father described the education system’s response to bullying as “a problem across the board.”
“This is not an isolated problem for one school. “It’s one of the things we’re advocating for, which is a review of anti-bullying policies in schools,” he said.
“We need a review of this policy, it must be universal and there must be no tolerance. If it is raised for the first time, it must be dealt with immediately and quickly.’
A few weeks after their daughter’s death, Mr and Mrs O’Brien told 2GB that Charlotte had specifically blamed bullying for her suicide.
“She wrote a suicide note specifically mentioning that she was bullied at school,” they said.
‘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.”
In an earlier statement to Daily Mail Australia, Santa Sabina College addressed allegations that it failed to intervene in Charlotte’s bullying.
A memorial for Charlotte (pictured) outside the school was removed on Monday, further fueling her parents’ grief
“A number of claims are being made about the circumstances leading to her (Charlotte’s) death – these are new claims to the College and do not match our records,” the statement said.
‘While everyone is rightly wondering how this could have happened, the College is asking the media to take enormous care in reporting so that no further problems arise for other vulnerable young people in our community and beyond.
“The College’s main priority at this time is to support and care for our students, their families and our staff, as well as support for this grieving family.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the school and Ms Skerma for further comment.
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