Suicide teen’s mum says nothing has changed eight years on

Online trolls told self-harming teenager Courtney Love to “cut deeper” and “go kill yourself”. Courtney’s mother says nothing has changed since her daughter’s suicide.

The mother of a teenage girl who suicided says her daughter would be “disgusted” that her death has not changed either the spate of teen suicides or the appalling behaviour of online bullies.

Vanessa Love’s daughter Courtney died in the early hours of October 5, 2012, after a history of self-harm and at least six suicide attempts.

In the months before her death, the 15-year-old used her numerous social media accounts to speak openly about her self-harming and struggles with mental ill-health.

Instead of helping the Kiama Downs teen, trolls told her to “cut deeper” and to “go kill yourself”.

Courtney Love suicided on October 5, 2012, aged 15.

Vanessa Love lost her teenage daughter Courtney to suicide. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ms Love, 44, is speaking to The Sunday Telegraph following a recent spate of suicides in the region.

She is also supporting this newspaper’s Can We Talk campaign to increase the number of school counsellors to one for every 500 students.

“In terms of the cluster, if she was here, she would be disgusted and really upset that she has not made a difference,” Ms Love, 44, said. “She’d be sad that nothing has changed dramatically.

“We need programs, like those that are run by the PCYC, to aid the youth and help them in any way possible.”

Courtney’s death sparked a 2014 inquest.

The court heard there was a lack of communication between school counsellors and her treating doctors in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, based on the misunderstanding that there was a legal issue with sharing information.

Kiama girl Courtney Love attempted self-harm before her suicide.

It also heard that had school employees known, they would have treated the interpersonal problems between Courtney and other students differently.

NSW Health has since complied with the coroner’s recommendation explaining what information can be shared.

“I don’t know how many times I saw the deputy principal for bullying,” Ms Love said. “She started out being bullied then became the bully, then got bullied and got absolutely hammered.

“And you’d also have two counsellors at the school and one goes away and doesn’t pass information on to the next counsellor.”

Kiama girl Courtney Love with her mum Vanessa.

Ms Love spoke to The Sunday Telegraph from Kiama Surf Beach, metres from her daughter’s favourite tree. It is the spot where friends and family held a 16th birthday ­celebration in her honour ­following her death.

Ms Love said the pain of losing one of her four children has not eased.

“I spoke to her the night before she died,” Ms Love said.

“She just looked at me and said ‘Mum, I’m having a mental breakdown’ … Her last words to me were ‘I love you’. And that’s what I’ve got.”

A Department of Education spokesman said the coroner found “it is clear from (the school principal’s) evidence that the school had comprehensive measures in place to deal with bullying and to assist students in distress”.

The spokesman also pointed to the coroner’s comments that departmental staff “have looked seriously at what can be done to stop this happening again”.

“We have implemented all of the coronial recommendations for this matter,” he said.

Ms Love will speak at YouthFest Kiama on July 10.