Girl, 14, killed herself after online hate campaign which coroner called ‘banter’

An ‘I hatred Megan Evans’ societal media run which targeted a 14-year-old miss earlier she killed herself was ‘only banter’, a coroner has said.

Schoolgirl Megan Evans was recovered dormant astatine her location successful February 2017 aft allegedly being told online to ‘go termination herself’.

But a coroner who investigated her decease said different idiosyncratic factors were progressive alternatively of pinning the blasted connected online bullying.

Coroner Paul Bennett said phrases specified arsenic ‘go termination yourself’ were successful ‘regular use’ online.

He added that children and young radical had ‘different perceptions of bullying’.

Experienced coroner Mr Bennett said the operation could beryllium perceived successful antithetic ways: ‘What whitethorn beryllium bullying to 1 could beryllium banter to another.’

‘The determination to bash truthful was not influenced by bullying or, per se, by societal media.’

Megan’s parent and friends told an inquest how she was unhappy astatine schoolhouse from online bullying and feeling she was being ‘persecuted’ by unit astatine Milford Have School successful Pembrokeshire.

Mr Bennett said the ‘key contented upsetting Megan’ was her boyfriend’s alleged narration with different girl.

Although she received messages astir this, the proceeding heard it was the substance of the messages alternatively than societal media itself that upset Megan.

‘She was troubled by concerns implicit her father’s unwellness and determination were arguments with different children implicit suggestions that her fellow was behaving badly,’ the coroner said.

‘It is, however, intolerable to beryllium definite what drove her to instrumentality the steps she did. I americium arsenic satisfied that the steps she took were not related to bullying oregon a nonaccomplishment to forestall specified bullying.’

The inquest heard that a photograph of Megan ‘smoking’ had besides been posted connected societal media which resulted successful students sanction calling her astatine school.

She was told to ‘kill herself’ and sent a representation connection saying ‘die’ connected societal media.

The proceeding was besides told the ‘I hate Megan Evans’ radical had been created.

Mr Bennett did not find grounds to enactment the family’s claims that the schoolhouse had done thing to combat bullying earlier her decease successful February 2017.

He said the schoolhouse had a scope of safeguarding and anti-bullying policies.

On the night Megan took her ain life, her parents were retired and she was astatine location with 3 of her siblings.

She did not permission a termination enactment but the coroner said the information she was successful a country seldom utilized by her household and had barricaded the doorway suggested that she did not privation to beryllium interrupted oregon recovered quickly.

Megan was described arsenic a talented creator and hockey subordinate who had been looking guardant to attending a Justin Bieber concert.

In the years following Megan’s tragic death, Nicola has worked to rise consciousness of intelligence wellness and the dangers of societal media bullying.

She has since founded Megan’s Starr Foundation which provides escaped counseling and adjacent enactment to young radical successful Pembrokeshire.

Following his decision of suicide, Mr Bennett expressed his condolences to Megan’s household and apologised for the delays successful investigating the tragic loss.

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