Family discovers ruthless campaign of torment after beloved teen Corrine Lee-Cheu’s tragic death
When Corrine Lee-Cheu started spending hours trying to get her face “right”, her family put it down to typical teenage behaviour. It was only after her death by suicide that they learned of the relentless cruelty she’d been subjected to by school bullies.
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A heartbroken family of a 13-year-old Queensland student who died by suicide say their baby girl was made to feel “ugly” by relentless torment from bullies online and at school.
Corrine Lee-Cheu was a tomboy at heart who loved skateboarding, chasing cattle, catching barramundi and the great outdoors.
The Far North Queensland teenager, known by Kinny or Barefoot Corrine by her loved ones, was never one to show any interest in her hair, makeup or jewellery.
Her family were surprised when in the months prior to her 14th birthday, Kinny started waking up at 6am to spend hours in front of the mirror, unable to get her face “right”.
She’d ask to be taken shopping for eyeliner and mascara to make herself pretty.
Her family put it down to typical teenage girl behaviour.
Kinny would take her own life on September 13, the day before RUOK Day.
It was only after her death that her family learnt the truth about why.
Speaking exclusively to The Sunday-Mail to raise awareness and help other parents ahead of the new school year, Kinny’s mother Jodie Fitzgerald said her daughter had been driven to breaking point by bullies.
Ms Fitzgerald said words were the weapons of choice by Kinny’s Atherton State High School classmates who ruthlessly tormented her daughter on campus and at home online.
Despite being told she was beautiful by her mother every day, the horrific slurs “ugly, rat-faced, rabbit teeth” cut deeper.
“Calling her ugly, sending her photos of rats, making fun of her teeth. Just really mean stuff,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“Such cruel things.”
Ms Fitzgerald said she was clueless to the treatment her daughter suffered and only learnt of the horrors from her friends after her death.
From being picked on at school to cyberbullied at home over Snapchat and SendIt, Ms Fitzgerald suspected Kinny had little respite.
“Teenagers take all that in and they want to change themselves,” she said.
“If you’re told it so much you start to believe it.
“She must never have had a break from it.
“There’s only just so much a child can take.”
Kinny’s grandmother Trish Stewart said the bullying had triggered a change in demeanour, which was only now evident through hindsight.
“We started noticing a change in about May or June last year, about six months before it happened,” Ms Stewart said.
“She tried to make herself look pretty, even though we had always told her how pretty she was.
“She started wearing jewellery, makeup, which we thought was natural, something teenagers do. We didn’t know it all stemmed from all this name calling.”
Kinny’s movements in the day leading up to her death continue to perplex her family.
That day - stuck on permanent replay in their minds - everything was normal.
“We went to Big W to get more makeup, there was no difference,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“I lectured her about using too much tomato sauce on her dinner.
“I went to pick up my son and by the time I got home it was too late.”
It’s left Ms Fitzgerald questioning why Kinny’s teachers and school staff never recognised the harm that was being directed at her daughter.
“I think they could have been more aware to what was going on, you see how half of these kids get treated but they just don’t want to acknowledge it,” she said.
“The bullying needs to stop in schools, teachers need to be more aware of their surroundings. “Not just stick paper up on walls like what happened after she died. Permanent signs of how to help.
“(But) I just wish she came to me and we would have pulled her out of school.”
Kinny is survived by her siblings Damian, Tristin, Sienna and her baby brother Liam who she obsessed over.
“She’d wake up and kiss him goodbye before school everyday, and after school take him on walks,” her mother said.
She also had a rare bond with her grandmother.
“She was Nanny’s girl,” Ms Stewart said.
“Just such a loving, caring, kind kid. She would do anything for anybody.”
Ms Fitzgerald pleaded with families to watch out for any warning sign no matter how trivial they seemed to be at the time.
She spoke of a mother’s regret that would last with her a lifetime.
“Force them to talk to you. I will forever kick myself for that, being too laid back and not checking their phones or checking that nothing has happened,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“I should have tried harder. Tried to have been made aware that she was getting harassed.
“I want everyone to notice the signs, once they’re gone you put it down to general teenage stuff, but that’s there way of reaching out for attention.”
Education Minister Di Farmer on Monday described Corrine Lee-Cheu’s story as “heartbreaking”, and outlined the three-pronged strategy in place to address online bullying in schools.
“I don’t even know how her parents could actually deal with that, it’s just awful. Bullying and cyber-bullying are terrible, insidious issues,” she said.
“We have really strong policies in place in schools, and the mobile phone ban (which officially started on Monday) will assist.
“We also engage with the eSafety Commissioner if we see damaging material on social media, we ask the companies to remove it.
“This is also another reason why our Health and Wellbeing Program in schools is so important because mental health is a big concern for teachers and families, and we need to make sure we have that professional support at school and those professionals are being used.”
The state government’s $106.7m Student Wellbeing Package over three years includes improving access to mental health and wellbeing support in every Queensland state school student through more student counsellors, as well as a pilot program placing GPs in 50 state schools with secondary students one day per week.
Ms Farmer said “there is always more to be done” to tackle cyber bullying, noting the first reports of students using AI-generated sexually explicit material to bully other students.
“AI opens up a whole new world,” she said.
“I would say I talk to one young person at least once a week who has been told to kill themselves on social media.
“We know the sort of language being used by adults in the community and the sorts of things they say to public figures or each other on social media.
“We need to encourage the adults around our children to also be respectful because they are the people our children look up to.”
An emotional Police Minister Mark Ryan on Sunday revealed he was deeply saddened by the horrific bullying that the family of Queensland teen Corrine Lee-Cheu say drove the 13-year-old to suicide.
Mr Ryan said the ruthless attacks and tragic result of the bullying was “really sad” as he struggled to hold back his emotions.
“You only really have three wishes for your kids: that they’re happy, they’re safe, and they’re good people,” he said.
“And when you read stories like that, your heart breaks.
“We all have to wrap around families who are impacted by that but we have to continually remind ourselves of checking in with each other, checking in with our kids, making sure we have supportive environments.
“We all know it’s really complicated, we all know from time-to-time kids can be mean – (but) we’ve got to do our best to raise good kids who are safe and happy.
“So my heart goes out to those people who have been impacted by that particular tragedy.”
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