The father of a 14-year-old girl who died by suicide due to bullying has expressed that his family has been failed by the system, following an inquiry into her passing.
On March 12, 2021, Mia Janin, a student in year 10 at the Jewish free school in Kenton, in the north-west area of London, was discovered deceased at her residence in Harrow.
The investigation into her passing determined that Mia committed suicide as a minor who was still in the process of growing into adulthood, according to the Barnet coroner’s court on Friday.
Mia’s father, Mariano Janin, stated that for nearly three years, they have been searching for answers regarding Mia’s loss. He expressed that they have finally discovered some of those answers and that there has been a failure on the part of those they trusted to keep her safe.
“My daughter endured persistent bullying in both physical and virtual settings. While it’s comforting that this has finally been acknowledged, there must be consequences for the actions. No other family should have to go through what I have experienced.”
According to Tony Murphy, the coroner for the North London area, Mia was last seen alive on March 11, 2021 at around 10pm. She bid goodnight to her parents in their residence.
The following day at approximately 6:50am, her parents discovered Mia’s lifeless body. On her bed were two letters written by Mia herself, with no specified date. They were addressed to her “loving family and friends” and explained that she had chosen to take her own life, according to Murphy.
According to the speaker, Mia had both close friends and experienced bullying from male students at her secondary school. This was not known to her family or teachers before she passed away. The speaker also mentioned that systemic changes have been implemented in Mia’s secondary school after her death.
At the hearing, Mariano Janin honored his daughter, expressing that she was “amazing, full of life, with a great sense of humor, beautiful, kind, and extremely creative.”
He expressed that education is not just about the curriculum, but also about instilling clear values in students to promote mutual respect and create a better society. He also shared that he has personally experienced the shortcomings of this system.
In order to safeguard our children, I believe there are several measures we should take. This includes setting boundaries for their internet usage and implementing protocols for collecting data in the event of any incidents. It is crucial for us to establish a secure environment for our kids.
During the inquest, it was revealed that the daughter had requested to switch schools on March 11th. Her mother, Marisa, who has since passed away, had agreed to homeschool her for the remainder of the school year and promised to explore the option of transferring her to a different school afterwards.
According to statements given to the police and read aloud in court, Mia’s friends revealed that she was being bullied by fellow students at the school. They also mentioned that their group of friends had been referred to as the “suicide squad” in the time leading up to her passing.
According to a statement, a TikTok video posted by Mia was shared on a Snapchat group chat managed by male students at JFS. In the chat, they were mocking her.
A child reported that the boys utilized the group chat to exchange explicit images of girls. The child elaborated, saying that they took screenshots of girls’ profiles on social media and mocked them. They also shared a TikTok video of Mia and made fun of her. The child further disclosed that the boys edited girls’ faces onto the bodies of adult film actors.
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You can reach out to Samaritans in the UK and Ireland by dialing 116 123 for free, or by sending an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988, chatting on 988lifeline.org, or texting HOME to 741741 to connect with a counselor during a crisis. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline can be reached at 13 11 14. For other international helplines, please visit befrienders.org.
Source: theguardian.com
