Parents say fake online 'friend' led to girl's suicide

[Caitlin.ann]

And what of the person that commits suicide ? Do they take any responsibility ?

Of course, but we are talking about a 13 year old child who was experiencing clinical depression, not an adult.

 

[Steezie]

And what of the person that commits suicide ? Do they take any responsibility ?

While the ultimate decision to take thier life is thier own, that decision was made AFTER the other person proceeded to harass an already unstable person

 

[Lynden1000]

I absolutely do, but to drive someone to suicide makes you responsible for thier actions

So if were to tell a neighbor's teenage daughter that she is way too fat and ugly to date my son, and she then commits suicide, I would be responsible?

I don't think so.

Detestable? A jerk? sure, we can agree on that.

But criminally responsible? That's where I draw the line. You pull the trigger, you should be responsible. Saying somebody else drove you to it is like saying video games and heavy metal drove you to commit murder.

 

[fuzzymel]

Of course, but we are talking about a 13 year old child who was experiencing clinical depression, not an adult.

Glad some people are remembering this!

Its very different to an adult.

It just horrifies me that the woman knew the child suffered depression. She must have known she was going to at the very least damage the childs self esteem for a long long time.

Personally I think the woman should be named and shamed. She even went to the girls funeral (of course it was before she was found out). She sounds like such a nasty piece of work.

 

[Maren]

So if were to tell a neighbor's teenage daughter that she is way too fat and ugly to date my son, and she then commits suicide, I would be responsible?

I don't think so.

Detestable? A jerk? sure, we can agree on that.

But criminally responsible? That's where I draw the line. You pull the trigger, you should be responsible. Saying somebody else drove you to it is like saying video games and heavy metal drove you to commit murder.

No, in your scenario I don't believe so. However, if you pretended to be a 13 year old boy (or hired one), pretended to be her friend until she trusts you and is willing to tell you things she would only tell a close friend, then use what she has told you to make the insults more damaging to her, then you would be responsible. To pretend to be someones friend, especially someone with depression, so you can then betray them is what makes this so ugly.

 

[WhiteFaith]

I heard about this on the news and I don't think we should blame the internet exactly. Suicide is a very personal thing that ends a persons struggle. She had depression, and I'm sure she had this longer than the one month she met this guy (fake guy).

I think her parents should be asking, what caused her depression in the first place?
Why werent they aware of it?
and if they were why didnt they do enough to help her?
Do they think blaming the internet for their daughters mental illness makes them look innocent?

Yes it was a terrible trick for this neighbour to play, and the girl feel victim, but we must look at the bigger picture.

 

[Steezie]

So if were to tell a neighbor's teenage daughter that she is way too fat and ugly to date my son, and she then commits suicide, I would be responsible?

I don't think so.

Detestable? A jerk? sure, we can agree on that.

But criminally responsible? That's where I draw the line. You pull the trigger, you should be responsible. Saying somebody else drove you to it is like saying video games and heavy metal drove you to commit murder.

You also had different reasons for saying what you said, you were not trying to harass the daughter, you just didnt want her around. The mother in the news story was intentionally toying with the emotions of an un-stable girl in order to cause pain.

 

[BlackBerry]

You also had different reasons for saying what you said, you were not trying to harass the daughter, you just didnt want her around. The mother in the news story was intentionally toying with the emotions of an un-stable girl in order to cause pain.

Then this is what she is guilty of, and nothing more.

 

[Steezie]

Then this is what she is guilty of, and nothing more.

But it was that specifically that pushed her over the edge and to the point where she killed herself. The woman many not have meant to push the girl to the point where she killed herself, but she still did it and therefore is guilty of manslaughter

 

[BlackBerry]

But it was that specifically that pushed her over the edge and to the point where she killed herself. The woman many not have meant to push the girl to the point where she killed herself, but she still did it and therefore is guilty of manslaughter

The woman may have pushed the girl, but only the girl could have determined where the "edge" was. How was anyone else to know what her limit would be?

In regard to the bolded part: "She" is the girl and only she is responsible for what she decided to do.

All of this is coming from someone who could have very well chosen to (and almost did) commit suicide from constant and daily harassment from my peers all through out high school. The only thing that separates me from this girl was my choice not to do it. And no one could have made that choice for me, no matter what. Likewise, no one else could have made the choice for her... and no one did.

 

[LJSGM]

Should we inact laws that protect minors from adults or harassment in general? There must be some way to do it without stepping on people's freedom. After all, that's what the law is for, protection of it's citizen for the good of the country. I agree that this harassment should not be allowed period. But what to do about it? How do we enforce this?

 

[Steezie]

The woman may have pushed the girl, but only the girl could have determined where the "edge" was. How was anyone else to know what her limit would be?

That is not relevant, this woman intentionally harassed a girl she knew was emotionally unstable. The harassment directly resulted in the girl making the choice to kill herself.

In regard to the bolded part: "She" is the girl and only she is responsible for what she decided to do.

But the woman is responsible for encouraging that decision with her harassment. She made the decision AFTER her judgment has been effected by this woman's harassment.

All of this is coming from someone who could have very well chosen to (and almost did) commit suicide from constant and daily harassment from my peers all through out high school. The only thing that separates me from this girl was my choice not to do it. And no one could have made that choice for me, no matter what. Likewise, no one else could have made the choice for her... and no one did.

And I attempted suicide three times, go figure.

 

[BlackBerry]

That is not relevant, this woman intentionally harassed a girl she knew was emotionally unstable. The harassment directly resulted in the girl making the choice to kill herself.

If someone proves that the only choice the girl could make was to kill herself then you might have a case. The girl didn't have to kill herself and she wasn't forced to, she chose to. She could have chosen to deal with what happened in a number of ways.

But the woman is responsible for encouraging that decision with her harassment. She made the decision AFTER her judgment has been effected by this woman's harassment.

And it was still the girl's judgement to make. Can't get around that.

And I attempted suicide three times, go figure.

The point is I don't blame others for my past suicidal tendencies because I learned that you can't control the actions of others. You can only choose how you yourself react.

 

[Steezie]

If someone proves that the only choice the girl could make was to kill herself then you might have a case. The girl didn't have to kill herself and she wasn't forced to, she chose to. She could have chosen to deal with what happened in a number of ways.

You are forgetting or ignoring the fact that this girl was already emotionally unstable. Emotionally unstable people do not make sound judgment calls with this sort of thing

And it was still the girl's judgement to make. Can't get around that.

Which was flawed and the mother knew that and she harassed her anyways

The point is I don't blame others for my past suicidal tendencies because I learned that you can't control the actions of others. You can only choose how you yourself react.

No you cant, but driving someone to suicide is a criminal act and needs to be punished

 

[BlackBerry]

You are forgetting or ignoring the fact that this girl was already emotionally unstable. Emotionally unstable people do not make sound judgment calls with this sort of thing

I'm not forgetting or ignoring anything. All emotionally unstable people do not commit suicide.

Which was flawed and the mother knew that and she harassed her anyways

We know that the intent of the woman was to hurt the girl's feelings, but it can't be proven that she did it in hopes that the girl would commit suicide. There are lots of things that people with "flawed" judgement choose to do. They don't all commit suicide. The woman shouldn't be found gulity because this girl chose to act a certain way (out of many possible ways) on her feelings.

No you cant, but driving someone to suicide is a criminal act and needs to be punished

You keep saying this as if the girl's only choice was to commit suicide. It wasn't. Flawed judgement or no, she could have chosen differently.

 

[Steezie]

I'm not forgetting or ignoring anything. All emotionally unstable people do not commit suicide.

No but they are more prone to it.

We know that the intent of the woman was to hurt the girl's feelings, but it can't be proven that she did it in hopes that the girl would commit suicide. There are lots of things that people with "flawed" judgement choose to do. They don't all commit suicide. The woman shouldn't be found gulity because this girl chose to act a certain way (out of many possible ways) on her feelings.

It isnt in question if this woman was or was not TRYING to make the girl kill herself, its already established thats not what she was trying to do. But she was harassing a girl she knew was emotionally unstable and one possible result of that was suicide. This woman should have known that and recognized that and she didnt.

Its like giving alcohol to someone who's already massively drunk then they get alcohol poisoning and die. YOU are responsible because you should have recognized that it was dangerous giving this person alcohol in their current state and yes they did have a choice to NOT drink it, however their judgment was impaired at the time and fault lies with you.

You keep saying this as if the girl's only choice was to commit suicide. It wasn't. Flawed judgement or no, she could have chosen differently.

She could have, but she didn't. Which is the point, her judgment was already pointed in the direction of suicide. Emotionally unstable people usually consider suicide at one point or another.

 

[Maren]

Perhaps it would help to remind people of involuntary manslaughter, which "occurs where there is no intention to kill or cause serious injury but death is due to recklessness or criminal negligence."

Regardless of what the woman intended, her actions towards a clinically depressed minor girl were reckless and undoubtedly contributed to the girl's suicide.

 

[Avatar]

Perhaps it would help to remind people of involuntary manslaughter, which "occurs where there is no intention to kill or cause serious injury but death is due to recklessness or criminal negligence."

Regardless of what the woman intended, her actions towards a clinically depressed minor girl were reckless and undoubtedly contributed to the girl's suicide.

Yes.

 

[NiteClerk]

The neighbors responsible for the fake account are Curt and Lori Drew. Hopefully wherever they go for the rest of their lives people will Google their names and find out what they have done.

 

[pgp_protector]

...snip...
No you cant, but driving someone to suicide is a criminal act and needs to be punished

This one point alone.
It may be rotten, horrible thing to do, but I don't know of any law on the books that makes this a criminal act.