Schoolgirl commits suicide following her bullied friend

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 14:19

Schoolgirl commits suicide following her bullied friend

Posted : 2012-01-17 18:39

Updated : 2012-01-17 18:39

By Kim Tae-jong

A high school girl in Daejeon killed herself, apparently driven by guilt after failing to prevent the suicide of her friend in December, who had been bullied by classmates, police said Tuesday.

According to Daejeon Police Station, the 17-year-old was found bleeding in front of the entrance to an apartment building she lived in at 9 a.m. Monday after jumping off the 14th floor where her bag and shoes were found.

She was transferred to a hospital but pronounced dead shortly after.

The suicide came as a shock because it occurred less than two months after one of her friends from the same class killed herself.

The girl had been receiving counseling due to severe depression after her friend committed suicide on Dec. 2.

“Counselors said she often said she felt guilty as she could not protect her friend from being bullied and from killing herself,” a police officer said.

The back-to-back suicides have thrown the school into panic.

Teachers and officials held an emergency meeting to come up with measures to prevent any recurrence.

“It’s really sad,” a teacher at the school said. “She was the one who took her friend to a counseling teacher after learning that she was bullied by classmates. So she was deeply saddened by the suicide.”

The school is also taking steps to prevent other students from committing copycat suicides, he said.

Currently, 12 students who allegedly bullied the girl and led her to kill herself are being investigated.

They have also shown signs of severe depression and are receiving psychiatric counseling.

e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr