Elite Brisbane schoolgirl takes her own life after campaign of bullying on social media
Shattered parents at an elite Brisbane girls’ school have said Ella’s tragic bullying saga is not a one off as her mum has spoken out for the first time.
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Parents at an elite Brisbane school say more needs to be done to address bullying by students after a 12-year-old girl took her own life.
Ella Catley-Crawford, 12, was a “bright and quirky” girl who had just earned an academic scholarship at one of Brisbane’s most prestigious all-girls’ schools, Lourdes Hill, at the start of the year, but her joy was short-lived.
After just one term, Ella became the victim of an online catfishing scheme orchestrated by other girls who shared her photos across social media, leading to bullying, isolation and a mental health battle.
After term two, Ella relocated to a nearby coeducational school, Redlands College at Wellington Point, but on October 27, she attempted to take her own life and died in hospital a week later on Sunday.
■ Faces of tragedy: How much more loss can we bear?
Several parents said they were shocked and saddened by the “horrendous” news, saying no parent should ever have to lose a child that way.
One mother who wished to remain anonymous said she only heard about Ella’s passing on Wednesday morning on her way to school drop-off.
“I just felt sick in the stomach,” she said.
“This is the second time something like this has happened since we have been at the school and I asked her how is the school responding to this and she said there hasn’t been any conversations about it yet.”
Despite being in an older grade, she said her daughter knew Ella while she attended the school, as well as the alleged bullies and was in shock after hearing about her tragic passing.
According to the parent she found out over social media and speaking to classmates earlier in the week, with the school communicating with parents on Tuesday afternoon.
“My daughter is happy at the school but she also hasn’t had the best experiences to be honest, not as much bullying but with some of her teachers,” she added.
“I think there are issues that aren’t handled very well and it’s happened before, but I even see it at work, today’s society is not very well prepared to handle mental health and all those feelings, especially among young kids - so we’ve got lots to learn.”
She said there had been several discussions among other parents at the school where problems involving their children, including bullying, were not addressed properly or adequately.
Ella’s family have since called out the dangers of social media as they grapple with the loss and with pressure mounting on the Federal Government to introduce legislation.
The Lourdes Hill mother agreed there should be age restrictions.
“I think the 16 age cap is 100 per cent needed, they’re way too young, their brains are not developed, they don’t know what’s wrong and they still need adult supervision,” she said.
“I’m 100 per cent for it and the government needs to help.”
Ella’s grieving mum posted a message on the GoFundMe appeal on Wednesday, thanking her supporters while promising to petition the government to add further protections for children online.
“Thank you to all of the wonderful people who took the time and their hard earned money to read our beautiful Ella’s story, cut so short. Our hearts are broken and our lives changed for ever,” she wrote.
“Your kind and generous donations will help us to give Ella a beautiful funeral, medical bills, time to grieve and to also fund education programs about social media and children.
“If you can write to Snapchat and get them to change some settings to stop bullies and block them. We plan to rally the government in Australia for this to help save the lives of our children.
“We cannot tell you how much your donations are appreciated and we will continue to keep you updated, thank you.”
The fundraiser has raised $132,586 in just the span of three days.
Just hours before she attempted to take her own life, Ella made a post on TikTok with the words “one day you’ll never see me again”.
In response to the post, dozens of friends encouraged the young girl to reach out to them.
“Nooo I’m here for you Ella. Always here to talk,” one friend wrote.
Another friend said they were sorry about what Ella was going through.
“I hope it all gets better,” she wrote, with Ella responding that the support means “a lot”.
Days after her passing, a friend commented that they regretted not speaking out about the bullying before it was too late.
Ella had more than 500 followers on TikTok, with the majority of posts featuring videos of lip-synching, dancing and selfies at school.
Former classmates of Ella paid tribute to the young girl, describing her as “sweet and kind”.
One friend said Ella had been her best friend since they were in grade one together.
“I can remember her being so excited for this new school, she got a scholarship, she was showing me all her new uniforms, going to every single school introduction day,” she wrote.
“It’s so disappointing on how it turned out. Ella deserved way more, those bullies were jealous of her beauty. I love you Ella, you will always have a place in my heart.”
Another friend described Ella’s passing as “heartbreaking”.
“Me and Ella went to primary school together and this is heartbreaking that she left us too soon,” she wrote.
A member of Ella’s netball club said the club is “empty” without Ella.
“Rest easy gorgeous girl you didn’t deserve any of this, our school and our netball club is so empty without your bubbly and sweet personality. You will be forever loved and never forgotten,” she wrote.
Many of her friends have taken to TikTok, encouraging their followers to donate to the GoFundMe to support Ella’s family, with one friend adding a note calling for her peers to be “kind to everyone”.
In an emotional tribute, her uncle Simon Crawford said the family was heartbroken and angry.
“We are numb and broken. Especially sad for my sister Julie who has lost her best friend, love of her life and only child,” Mr Crawford said.
“Social media bullying is real. To ask if I’m angry? I am. To ask if I’m sad? I am. To ask me if the system let her down? They did.
“This is our catastrophic reality that has changed our families history for ever.
“Social media and online presence pose real dangers, and despite our efforts to keep our children safe, technology can become an addictive lifeline, especially when they feel isolated.”
Speaking in Mackay, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said he personally supported age restrictions on social media and said discussions have to be led at a federal level.
“We cannot have a situation where one life is lost by a young person in Queensland because of bullying, and online bullying especially,” Mr Bleijie said.
“We’ve got to turn this tide of bullying in our schools and communities and environments.
“It correlates with the youth crime crisis we’ve seen over the years as well with the lack of respect for parents, community and police.
“In this case it has cost the life of a young, innocent girl.”
When asked what age he believes kids should be allowed on social media, Mr Bleijie said he would be “guided by the experts”.
In a statement provided to The Courier-Mail, Premier David Crisafulli reaffirmed his support for social media age restrictions.
“To better protect our young people on social media I support age restrictions and will work with National Cabinet to help deliver a national standard and regulation for social media platforms,” he said.
“One life lost to bullying is one life too many, technology has welcomed in bullying into the heart of our homes, as leaders we must do more to close the door and keep our youth safe.”
Lourdes Hill College principal Kay Gleeson emailed parents on Tuesday afternoon to advise them of the “devastating news” and offer students support from on-campus counsellors.
“We understand that the next few weeks will be particularly difficult, and members of the community may have different responses to this tragedy,” Ms Gleeson said.
“We understand that our community will have many questions about this matter, however, out of respect to those affected, I ask that we avoid any speculation or discussion.
“Our students’ wellbeing remains our highest priority, and we are committed to providing a caring, safe and supportive environment. We have a zero-tolerance policy against bullying, and all students participate in our age-appropriate Stella Wellbeing Program.
“Our College values remind us of our strength as a community to support each other during challenging times.”
A Go Fund Me fundraiser set up to help her family with ongoing costs and support has already reached more than $80,000.
“In this difficult time, we are reaching out to our community for help” the fundraiser says.
“We want to provide Ella with a dignified funeral and support her mother, Julie, who needs time off work to heal and seek therapy.
“No parent should have to plan their child’s funeral, and we are asking for your kindness and generosity during this painful time.
“Every contribution will go directly to Ella’s funeral costs, and we will also donate 10 per cent to suicide prevention initiatives to help others who may be struggling.
“No one should have to endure what Ella did, and we want to honour her memory by making a difference.”
Families and students at Redlands College were shocked at the news of her passing.
In a text message on Sunday, Redlands College principal Andrew Johnson expressed his condolences and said the school had set up a special counselling service for students of year 7.
The message, which was only sent to parents of Year 7 students, did not provide specific details about the young girl’s circumstances or address concerns raised about bullying.
On Monday, Mr Johnson addressed all Year 7 students to advise them of Ella’s passing and to outline the support processes in place.
“A support room has been established in the Year Seven precinct with a team of counselling and support staff providing comfort and support for students,” the message said.
“Demand for this room will be monitored during the week, and our counselling and support services will return to the Wellbeing Precinct in College Heart by the end of the week.
“The college will not make any formal announcements to other year levels but will invite parents to make the decision about if and when they share this news with their son or daughter.”
According to reports, Ella had transferred to Redlands College from Lourdes Hill following alleged unresolved issues with bullying.
Observers and community members have highlighted a need for more robust counselling services and a more proactive approach to monitoring student wellbeing.
High school parents have also raised questions about whether the two schools communicated effectively to be able to offer appropriate mental health support.
Both high schools are known for academic rigour and both offer numerous scholarships, but parents and former students have pointed to high-pressure environments and a “toxic” culture at the all-girls’ college.
Ella also loved netball, with her club Redland Raiders also paying tribute to the young girl.
“It is with deep sadness that our club share the absolutely devastating news of the passing of one of our young Raiders players, Ella, who played in our U12s team,” the post read.
“Our love, thoughts and prayers are with Ella’s family and we are so deeply sorry for the loss of such a beautiful young girl.”
Redlands College has also set up an account for donations for Ella’s family.
Both schools have been contacted.
Originally published as Elite Brisbane schoolgirl takes her own life after campaign of bullying on social media
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