Schoolgirl dead after online bullying

[WithoutYou]

Schoolgirl dead after online bullying
STAFF REPORTER, The West Australian August 6, 2013, 8:16 am

Schoolgirl dead after online bullying

A schoolgirl has been found dead after being subjected to a tirade of online bullying.

London's Daily Mail reports that internet trolls on controversial website Ask.fm told Hannah Smith, of Leicestershire, to "drink bleach" and "go get cancer".

14-year-old Hannah Smith's body was found by her parents on Friday.

After the relentless bullying, Hannah posted a handwritten message.

"You think you want to die but in reality you just want to be saved," she said.

According to the Daily Mail, her devastated parents posted the terrible news online and attacked the social media site for not doing more to tackle bullies and called for it to be banned.

Hannah's father Dave Smith wrote on Facebook: "On Friday morning my daughter was found hanged last night i seen her ask fm account and someone had been telling her to die. The person that created this web site should be done for mansluaghter (sic) any parents that have children please dont (sic) let them go on this site. My heart is broken in 2 and is gonna take along time to repair i just hope that none of you have to go through the pain im goin through rite now and love u all. Wats left after hannah took here own life."

Leicestershire Police confirmed they are not treating Hannah's death as suspicious.

Ask.fm, which launched in 2010, has been heavily criticised by anti-bullying charities because it allows users to post anonymous comments or questions - often of a sexual or insulting nature - on the pages of children as young as 13.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

 

[Showdown]

Schoolgirl is 'trolled to death': Parents' agony as daughter, 14, 'hangs herself' after horrific abuse from bullies on website Ask.fm

• Schoolgirl Hannah Smith from Lutterworth was found dead on Friday
  
• People had been leaving her messages like: 'Die' and 'Go get cancer'
  
• Her parents and friends are calling for Ask.fm to be banned completely
• Controversial site, based in Latvia, allows people to post anonymously
  

By ANDY DOLAN and MARTIN ROBINSON PUBLISHED: 14:59 GMT, 5 August 2013 | UPDATED: 05:42 GMT, 6 August 2013

Victim: Hannah Smith, 14, has killed herself after being bullied by anonymous trolls online

A teenager was found hanged at her home after suffering months of bullying by anonymous ‘trolls’ on a notorious website.Hannah Smith, 14, was taunted on Ask.fm – linked to at least four teenage deaths in the past year – over her weight, the death of an uncle and an apparent propensity to self-harm.

She had also been urged to ‘drink bleach’ by the anonymous tormentors, friends said.The tragedy comes amid a continuing escalation of the abusive and threatening ‘trolling’ of high-profile women on Twitter.In the aftermath of Hannah’s apparent suicide, her devastated father, David, took to Facebook to urge parents to stop their children using the Latvian-based Ask.fm, which has been condemned as a ‘stalker’s paradise’ by child safety experts.

Mr Smith called for its creators to be prosecuted for manslaughter.Less than a fortnight before her body was found early last Friday, Hannah begged her tormentors – who can hide behind a cloak of anonymity on the site – to stop the abuse.

In another post, she told one bully who had branded her an ‘ugly f*****’ how she had already attempted suicide and added: ‘Getting things like this from people that like to hide behind there (sic) computer screen doesn’t make me feel any better.’Writing on Facebook on Saturday, Mr Smith, a 45-year-old lorry driver, said: ‘I have just seen the abuse my daughter got from people on ask fm and the fact that these people can be anonymous is wrong.

'The person that created this website should be done for manslaughter.’ Mr Smith split up with his first wife Tracey, 35, seven years ago and raised daughters Hannah and Joanne, 16, with his second wife Deb in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

Posting: Hannah put this photo online on Thursday, the day before she killed herself

Devastated: Hannah Smith's father Dave Smith wants the website Ask.fm banned and is urging other parents not to allow their children to use it

Message: Dave Smith's message to friends and loved ones as a petition to get Ask.fm banned is launched
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Moving: Flowers left outside Dave Smith's house in Lutterworth as a tribute for his daughter Hannah


Taunts and abusive comments written in teenage ‘text speak’ remained visible on Hannah’s Ask.fm profile yesterday, which Hannah last used on Thursday. In her final days, she had been branded a ‘cow’ and ‘fat sl**’ – but had also been praised on her appearance and told she was ‘fit’ by others.On July 20, a vile troll wrote, ‘u ugly f*** go die evry1 wuld be happy’, prompting Hannah to reply: ‘yes, i may be ugly, but you obviously have an ugly personality to tell people to ‘go die’!’

Upsetting: Hannah's family and friends have paid tribute to the 'beautiful' 14-year-old

Other hurtful posts urged her to ‘do us all a favour n kill ur self’ and ‘go comit suicide’.
Hannah replied: ‘wouldn’t you fell bad if I did ey?’

Just the day before she apparently killed herself, Hannah posted a picture message on Facebook which read: ‘You think you want to die, but in reality you just want to be saved.’ Her distraught father yesterday declined to add to his Facebook postings, while Hannah’s mother could not be contacted.Hannah’s boyfriend Kris Cooper, from Leicester, wrote on Facebook: ‘RIP Hannah Jayne Louise May Smith. Heaven has gained a beautiful angel.’

Friends and family also set up a Facebook tribute site, writing: ‘Hannah Smith; a beautiful young girl who everyone loved very much; who decided to take her own life after being bullied; we will miss you princess; love you.’

Police are examining Hannah’s computer and mobile phone.Latvian-based Ask.fm has more than 60million users and lets anyone see the names, photographs and personal details of boys and girls as young as 13.Users post comments that range from insults to sexual advances and threats of violence. It has been heavily criticised by anti-bullying charities because it allows users to post anonymous comments or questions – often of a sexual or insulting nature.Last autumn two Irish schoolgirls – Ciara Pugsley, 15, from Leitrim, and Erin Gallagher, 13, from Donegal – took their own lives after being subjected to anonymous bullying on the site.In April, Josh Unsworth, 15, from Lancashire, was found hanged after suffering months of abusive messages.

Father and daughter: Hannah and her dad when she was a baby and and as a teenager. She was found dead last week

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Row: Ask.fm says it does not take responsibility for what is on its site and does not monitor posts
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Charity BeatBulling said one in three young people were bullied online. Founder Emma-Jane Cross said: ‘Young people, as in the tragic case of Hannah Smith, face a daily barrage of online abuse, death threats and harassment.‘Adults need to set an example for young people and we all have a responsibility to tackle this type of behaviour and keep our children safe. We want internet service providers, schools, the Government and the police to come together and produce a UK anti-bullying strategy.’


HORRIFYING IMAGE OF MASKED KNIFEMAN SENT TO CAMPAIGNING MP STELLA CREASY BY TWITTER TROLL

A masked man wielding a knife sent by a Twitter troll to Labour MP Stella Creasy. His messaged read: ' @Murkztah_: @stellacreasy I'm gonna be the first thing u see when u wake up'.

A terrifying picture of a masked man brandishing a large kitchen knife has been sent to a female MP as the abusive 'trolling' of high-profile women on Twitter continues to escalate. Labour's Stella Creasy was warned by the troll: 'I’m gonna be the first thing u see when u wake up', just days after she was threatened with rape by a different online abuser.

The latest shamed Twitter user, sent an image from the horror film Halloween, and has been reported to the police and suspended by Twitter. Ms Creasy retweeted the disgusting message as an example of what trolls have threatened her with, all because she had successfully campaigned for Jane Austen to appear on the new £10 note.Two arrests have already been made in relation to those threats.

Ms Beard, a professor of classics at University of Cambridge, last night contacted police after receiving a message claiming a bomb had been left outside her home. Speaking to BBC Breakfast today, she said: 'I've had lots of abuse, but only recently have I had these things actually threatening violence rape and death. 'I think we've got to be quite careful about drawing a distinction between those things because abuse is very nasty, it's sexist, it's misogynist.'

Ms Beard said that although Twitter had been 'slow off the mark' to address the issue, she was happy with the support she received from the site in the last 24 hours. Scotland Yard said it has launched an investigation into eight allegations of online abuse and threats.

HANNAH'S BATTLE WITH TROLLS: HOW SHE BEGGED TO BE LEFT ALONE

Brave: Hannah had tried to stand up on trolls who were intent on trying to bully her

Less than two weeks before her death, a desperate Hannah Smith begged her tormentors to stop their cruelty and even bravely stood up to them.

On July 20 a troll taunted her: 'u ugly f*** go die evry1 wuld be happy.'

Hannah replied: 'yes i may be ugly, but you obviously have an ugly personality to tell people to 'go die'! oh and btw i think you may need a dictionary love:*'

Days earlier on July 7 another abuser posted: 'Die due (sic) die due (sic) die due (sic).'

The day before, she received another chilling message which read: 'go (sic) die u pathetic emo.'

On July 5 a troll called her a 'fat self harmin' c***' while another wrote 'do us all a favour n kill ur self'.

Another message read: 'go comit (corr) suicide but sued (sic) pls.'

Hannah replied: 'wouldn't you fell bad if i did ey?'

On the same day as the torrent of abuse, Hannah pleaded: 'omg can you just f*** off who ever this is.'

On May 5 Hannah was again targeted when a sick troll wrote: 'Ur uncle deserved cancer and die.'

In desperation, brave Hannah replied: 'My uncle had cancer and yes he sadly passed away and I do miss him, he was an amazing man and he certainly didn't deserve cancer, so if I was you I would either come say it my face or come off anon so I know who it is.'

On the same day Hannah was even tormented about her family who the troll appeared to know.

The troll wrote: 'Would be better if ur mum actualy killed u hahaha.'

A month earlier on April 5 Hannah was taunted because of her appearance.

The troll wrote: 'well you are a s***, have you seen yourself, ever heard of how to apply your makeup properly, you look about 10.'

Another user wrote: 'U should commit suicide. no1 would care if ya died u cretin'

A clearly distressed Hannah replied: 'wow, well for your information I've tried commiting suicide before, and yes I know I'm ugly no need to tell me :( and getting things like this from people that like to hide behind there computer screen doesn't make me feel any better then me!

'How would you feel if I did commit suicide because of this? So if you want to give me hate then either inbox me, say it to my face or come off anon!'


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