“If everyone had done their job to protect Lindsay, she would be alive” : the family of the 13-year-old girl, who killed herself after being bullied at school, announced on Thursday 1er June, having filed a complaint, in particular, against the rectorate and Facebook.
Three complaints have been filed against the management of the college, the Lille academy and the police officers in charge of the investigation for “non-assistance to anyone in danger”, detailed the family lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, during a press conference in Vendin-le-Vieil (Pas-de-Calais), where the schoolgirl, who committed suicide on May 12, was educated. A fourth targets the social network Facebook “completely flawed” according to the lawyer.
Four minors have been indicted in this case for “school harassment leading to suicide”, as part of a judicial investigation, the Béthune prosecutor announced on May 25. A major person was indicted for “death threats”. All were placed under judicial control.
“If everyone had done their job to protect Lindsay, she would be alive today”insisted M.e Debuisson. “We denounce this inertia of the public authorities who seem to give a damn about the fact that a 13-year-old girl hanged herself and that parents who were alerting for months found themselves completely abandoned”he added.
“Completely dropped”
“I tried everything, I did everything. We weren’t helped, we were let go, completely. No support, neither before, nor during, nor after”said his mother Betty. “If we had been helped, if we had been supported, I am sure that my daughter would be among us. »
Contacted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the rectorate of the Lille academy did not wish to comment on this complaint against him. He announced last week the opening of an administrative investigation, conceding that the school services could have “go further in the follow-up” of the young girl, whose harassment was known to the establishment. The teenager, schooled in 4e at the Bracke-Desrousseau college in Vendin-le-Vieil, killed himself on May 12 in the evening at his home, according to the rectorate.
“The mother was received, Lindsay was received by the nurse, by the CPE (educational senior advisor), by the principal” after the report of the harassment, had pleaded on May 26 Jean-Roger Ribaud, academic director in Pas-de-Calais, during a press conference. “We triggered the protocol, this gave a disciplinary council, this disciplinary council made it possible to exclude one of the main authors of what happened”he added. “But unfortunately that turned out to be insufficient. »
A support unit has been in place since May 15 in the college and a white march was organized on May 24 in memory of the young girl.
“All my thoughts for Lindsay and her loved ones as despicable attacks continue on social media”tweeted the Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye, on Wednesday. “Bullying has no place in school. »
A system for preventing school bullying, the program to combat bullying at school (pHARe), tested since 2019 in elementary schools and colleges in six academies, must complete its generalization this year. According to the Ministry, 91% of colleges and 64% of schools are already enrolled in this program, in addition to other anti-bullying measures, such as 30 20 emergency help numbers (for families and victims ), and 30 18 (cyberbullying).