The grieving father of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life 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 that drove her to helpless despair.
Her parents criticized the school for “sweeping the bullying issue under the rug,” a claim the school vehemently denies.
O’Brien told 2GB presenter Ben Fordham on Tuesday that it took him weeks to organize a meeting with the school’s principal, Paulina Skerma.
He explained that Ms Skerma only approached him and his wife after hearing him on the Fordham breakfast show in the days before Charlotte’s funeral.
On the night of the funeral, Mr O’Brien emailed the principal and was told he would not be able to meet because the school would be closed for a few weeks.
“I went into that meeting with a glimmer of hope that in the past few weeks they would have a chance to find out what had happened and if there was any kind of positive change,” he said.
“But I also wanted her to know directly, on behalf of the family, how upsetting the comments she had made in the media were and how they made us feel and how even making us wait to meet with the school again made us feel like family.
“That ray of hope that something positive could come from that meeting was crushed the moment we arrived.
‘The school doors were closed. They didn’t even welcome us at the school gates. “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 that drove her to helpless despair.
Tuesday, October 29, marked 50 days since Charlotte took her own life.
O’Brien fought back tears as she remembered walking through the school filled with children her daughter’s age.
‘We had to navigate the school grounds, surrounded by other girls in school uniforms, knowing we would never see our daughter again. “That was incredibly hard for us,” he said.
‘We got there and met with the director. When I shared the comments, she wasn’t interested in receiving them. The feedback was interrupted. It was discounted. He didn’t agree.
“I sat in front of a lady (the director) who showed neither me nor the rest of the family any emotion or empathy at all.”
When asked if the director apologized in any way for his daughter’s death, O’Brien said there was “no responsibility.”
‘The questions we wanted answered just weren’t answered at all. “They let us show ourselves outside the school grounds,” he said.
‘The last image I’ll have of that school was when I looked back, Kelly was carrying some of Charlotte’s items and seeing her squeeze and that box through those closed doors was one of the hardest things I’ve ever seen.
‘Kelly got in the car and that was the worst I’d seen her since the funeral. She told me, “I felt like my daughter’s life didn’t matter.”
A memorial to 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 her meeting with her former headteacher, Paulina Skerma (pictured).
‘I know I have to focus my attention on those who want to do better. “There are some schools and institutions that are really taking this seriously and making positive changes,” Mr O’Brien said.
‘I need to focus my attention on them and encourage them to continue on this journey.
‘…We were able to meet with the senior political advisor to the New South Wales government, 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 about these important issues. .
“All before we had a chance to meet with the school principal.”
The grieving father described the education system’s response to bullying as “a widespread problem”.
‘This is not a problem isolated to one school. “It’s one of the things we’re advocating for, and it’s a review of anti-bullying policies in all schools,” she said.
‘We need a review of these policies, it must be universal and without tolerance. When it is first raised, it needs to be addressed 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 goodbye note specifically mentioning the bullying she received at school,” they said.
‘She said life was too difficult for her to continue.
‘When the most recent case of bullying was raised, the school simply said it was investigated and the girls denied it. That’s all. Case closed. Move on.
‘Well, my beautiful daughter’s life will not go on and I will never be able to say goodbye to her.
‘These issues cannot be swept under the rug. I will also not let the memory of my daughter be swept under the rug.
‘How many more children will have to lose their lives before contracting it? How many parents need to feel the pain of not being able to pick up their child from school again before receiving them?
“We are forever broken.”
In a previous statement to Daily Mail Australia, Santa Sabina College addressed allegations that it did not intervene in Charlotte’s bullying.
A memorial to 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 up to her (Charlotte’s) death; these are new claims to the College and are not consistent with our records,” the statement said.
‘Amid the outpouring of grief as everyone rightly wonders how this could have happened, the College calls on the media to be very careful in reporting so that further problems are not created for other vulnerable young people in our community and more there.
“The school’s top priority at this time is supporting and caring for our students, their families and our staff, as well as supporting this grieving family.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the school and Ms Skerma for further comment.
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