This post deals with the topic of suicide.
Less than a year ago, 12-year-old Charlotte was smiling from ear to ear, excited about attending her Year 6 formal.
Just a few short months ago, that same beautiful smile adorned her face as she held her baby brother, Will, in her arms. The two were inseparable, according to her parents, Kelly and Mat.
"Her mum told Charlotte (about the pregnancy) before she even told me," Mat shared in an emotional interview with 2GB's Ben Fordham Live.
Watch: 14-year-old Dolly Everett also took her life after experiencing bullying. Hear her father speak at her funeral. Article continues after the video.
"Charlotte dropped to the ground in joy," Mat recalled. "She said, 'That is the only wish I have for [my] next birthday'. She didn't need anything else because she had a little brother."
But behind that smile was a world of pain, as the Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College endured relentless bullying.
Every day, Charlotte would cry endlessly, according to her mum, Kelly. She would cry on the way to school, and she would cry on the way home.
"She didn't deserve the pain she was in," Kelly told Fordham.
"She didn't deserve girls to bark in her face or scream out her name and run away, to purposely hit her with their bag and say, 'Whoops'.
"She deserved love and kindness. She deserved to be treated with dignity and respect."
Desperate to help her daughter, Kelly said that she reached out to the college and asked staff to intervene, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
In the end, Charlotte's pain became too much for her. On September 9, the 12-year-old took her own life, leaving her devastated parents "broken".
"My darling baby angel is one because I didn't make a big enough noise for her," Kelly said. "I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry."
While Kelly and Mat said that they don't blame the students involved for their daughter's decision, they do believe schools need to do more to combat bullying.
"I would not allow this behaviour to happen in my home," Mat said.
"We as adults need to step in and solve the problem… I'm looking for the schools to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to these things."
The college told Kelly that Charlotte and the girls in question underwent mediation and had "agreed to be kind to each other".
But it wasn't enough. And now, their little girl is gone.
Despite their heartbreak, Charlotte's parents are honouring their daughter's final wish — to share her story far and wide, in the hope of changing the outcome for other bullying victims.
"Her final wish for us to tell her story and that hopefully this would gain some awareness and something positive could possibly come from this," Mat said.
"I get up every morning and talk to whoever wants to talk to me about it… We need to do better for our kids than we're doing today."
Mat said he was disappointed with the school's response — that Charlotte's allegations of bullying were "inconsistent" with their records — but that wouldn't stop him from trying to generate change in honour of Charlotte.
"I'm here to talk to all the other school leaders that we need to have those difficult conversations, and while they are difficult conversations, nothing is more difficult than trying to have this conversation with parents that have lost (children)."
Mat, who is technically Charlotte's stepfather, said he wanted their daughter to be remembered for being the "kindest and most caring little girl", who always "put the needs of others before hers".
"She was just the most amazing 12-year-old you would ever meet."
If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your GP or health professional. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency call 000.
Feature image: Nine.
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