A bullied 12-year-old girl was found lifeless in her bedroom after she shared a social media photo of her foot with ‘RIP’ drawn on it.
Jessica Scatterson hanged herself at their home in Warrington, Cheshire. An inquest into the case heard her social media activity had been ramped up to ‘intense levels’ that caused her to be ‘emotionally overwhelmed’ before she took her own life.
Notes and drawings referencing suicide and death were found in her room days after she died. The notes also included the name of an alleged bully.
Cruel messages between Jessica and her friends were also discovered on her iPad. The hearing was told that her friends knew she had harmed herself before but never told teachers at Penketh High School.
A police inquiry said there had been an incident “relating to Jessica being bullied at school.”
Inspector Hannah Friend said the young girl had come home with a swollen eye and scratches to her face after arguing with another girl. The issue was reported to the police but it was not clear who started the fight.
When asked by police, Jessica’s classmates denied she was bullied and said she “gave as good as she got.”
Alan Moore, Senior Coroner for Cheshire, said: “The level and the intensity of her activity on social media platforms… cannot have failed to have influenced her intentions.”
The British government warned social media giants such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook that they will be hit with multi-million-pound fines if they fail to remove harmful contents from their platforms.
Christopher Scatterson, her father, said he was unaware that her daughter was depressed. He described his relationship with her as “absolutely great,” adding she was his “little princess.”
Jessica’s mother, Rachael Warburton, told the inquest she spoke to her after a ‘chance encounter’ a few weeks before her demise.
On the night of the girl’s death, police were called to her home after they received calls from some of Jessica’s concerned friends.
Rest in peace, Jessica!
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this post with your family and friends!