The parents of a 15-year-old who took her own life following years of bullying have issued a dire warning to young people – asking them to consider whether something is ‘true, kind or necessary’ before posting it online.
Matilda ‘Tilly’ Rosewarne died on February 16 after enduring more than seven years’ of relentless abuse at the hands of children and teenagers in Bathurst, west of Sydney.
At her farewell at Bathurst Harness Racing Club, the schoolgirl’s parents Murray and Emma Mason told friends and family that their daughter decided to end her life as a result of catastrophic events that ‘cut into Tilly’s soul’.
‘Every post you write, every image you share, every word you say has an impact,’ they wrote in her funeral booklet.
Matilda ‘Tilly’ Rosewarne (pictured) was 15 when she took her own life on February 16
‘We beg you, before you post, share or speak – ask yourself, is it true? Is it kind? It is necessary?’
‘If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, do not post, do not share, do not speak.’
The parents explained that the father one of their daughter’s classmates died when she was eight years’ old, but her classmates responded by holding a vote and deciding that Tilly’s father should have died instead.
When she wasn’t invited to birthday parties with the rest of her grade, her peers would call and text her all night to tease her because she wasn’t there.
Her classmates would also use Snapchat and a European porn site to spread ‘fake nudes’, which her cousin later explained on Facebook sparked an unsuccessful suicide attempt.
Ms Mason told the Daily Telegraph that they lodged a complaint with police, but there were difficulties identifying the person who owned the Snapchat account and the investigation was dropped.
By that point, Tilly was so unwell that she didn’t want to do more police interviews.
Tilly went to meet up with ‘friends’ at shopping centres, ‘only to have them harass and abuse her on public,’ her parents said.
Her parents said she loved to dance and was a star debater at school, but that she developed depression after being bullied
Her parents explained that they do not believe educational institutions manage bullying properly, and that some bullies are excused because ‘they come from a good family’.
‘We share these examples not to cast blame at any one person, or any one school, but to plead with all our educators and parents that something has to change,’ the family said.
‘If anything can come from the loss of Tilly, we wish that our education system moves past the security of having a policy, or observing “R U OK” day to ensuring that real, hard conversations are had and that bullying behaviour is stopped.’
They remembered the schoolgirl as someone who loved to dance and paint, and was a great debater, but bullying led her to develop depression, anxiety and symptoms of borderline personality disorder – a condition that affects self-image and creates a pattern of unstable relationships.
Tilly’s best friend Grace told Daily Mail Australia that the schoolgirl would send her messages when she was in extreme distress.
Tilly’s parents Emma and Murray Mason wrote a tribute to their daughter and detailed some of the things she endured (pictured)
‘There were so many times Tilly messaged me and called me because she was scared other people would hurt her,’ she said.
‘She would be so upset and in tears because she thought she was going to die being beaten up.’
‘I just hope she’s not in pain anymore.’
In a Facebook post, a cousin who attended the funeral said ‘no amount of police intervention could stop the bullies’.
‘No amount of family support or assistance from psychologists and psychiatrists who were involved in her treatment could prevent Tilly from choosing for herself – the only way out she knew would give her peace.’
She encouraged parents to have ‘real, hard conversations’ with their children and schools to ‘help them understand the impact of words and actions’.
‘My family and I wont get to see Tilly grow any older now,’ the woman wrote.
‘She will live on in our hearts forever but it just didn’t have to be this way. If only people were kind.’
Police will conduct an investigation into Tilly’s death on behalf of the Coroner.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
