Girl, 12, died by suicide after reporting alleged rape to police

A schoolgirl who reported her alleged rape to police felt like she “wasn’t believed” before her sudden death, an inquest has heard.

A 12-year-old girl tragically took her own life after “feeling like she wasn’t believed” when she reported an alleged rape to police, an inquest into her death heard.

Semina Halliwell died in hospital on June 12, 2021, three days after she attempted to take her own life at her family home in the British seaside town of Southport, near Liverpool in England’s north west.

Her distraught mother, Rachel Halliwell, described Semina as a “happy little girl” who struggled after she joined high school during the inquest into the girl’s death, The Guardian reports.

Three months before she died, Semina told her mother she had been sexually assaulted.

“It destroyed her mentally, physically,” Ms Halliwell told the inquest. “She changed into a different person.”

Initially, the schoolgirl hadn’t wanted to report the alleged rape, which happened in January 2021.

But after finding out that the same boy had allegedly sexually assaulted another girl, she was more open to the idea.

Semina Halliwell, 12, died by suicide after making an allegation of sexual assault. Picture/ Family handout/PA Wire

The hearing heard of a WhatsApp exchange between Semina and her mother on March 28, where her mother told her it was her decision to give a formal interview over the allegation, according to the Mail Online.

“If you’re not comfortable doing it then you don’t have to,” her mother wrote.

“I’ll love you and support you whatever you want.”

Her daughter replied, saying she was worried about letting her mother down.

“I don’t want to let him get away with it, but at the same time, I just want to forget about it,” she wrote. “I don’t know what to do about it.”

She eventually decided that “enough was enough” and formally reported the alleged incident.

But despite coming forward, the young girl felt “she wasn’t believed” by authorities.

Ms Halliwell claimed a detective acted “unprofessionally” after hearing her account of being sexually assaulted by a boy at her school and made her feel like an “inconvenience”.

He allegedly told her it was “her word against his”, and his demeanour made it seem like he “couldn’t be bothered” to deal with her.

The officer also warned the girl it was going to take 18 months to two years to go to court and asked if she “really wanted it hanging over her head”.

“That’s not how to speak to any victim,” her mother told the court. “It’s not what any woman or child who has been through sexual assault or rape needs to hear – and she was 12 with autism.”

Ms Halliwell said Semina was bullied and beaten three times after making the allegation.

But due to the “chaos going on in school and outside of our home, she just couldn’t cope”.

However, while the police were at the family home on the evening of June 9, 2021, Semina said, “I’ve had enough of this”, and went upstairs.

Semina was discovered by her brother and she was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where she underwent intensive medical treatment.

However, her life support had to be withdrawn three days later.

The last photo of Semina. Picture/ Family handout/PA Wire

In a statement heard at the inquest, Mark Deakin, a consultant pediatrician, said Semina had asked him if she was going to die as she fought for her life in hospital.

He claimed she had said she regretted her actions and it wasn’t the intended outcome.

On Wednesday, the second day of the inquest, the court heard heartbreaking details of the social media posts the tween had shared on that fateful evening.

In one, she posted, “I just want to be happy again.” In another, she said, “I have no feelings.”

When asked what the outcome would have been if Semina received better support after making the allegation, her mother replied: “She’d still be here today.”

The inquest, which is due to last for seven days, continues.

Originally published as Girl, 12, died by suicide after reporting alleged rape to police