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Friend reveals Charlotte O’Brien’s final message to her before suicide

For five frantic minutes Ava sat in her bedroom, willing her friend Charlotte to message back. She sent a two-word message and was then gone.

Charlotte's Wish: A Sunday Telegraph documentary

For five frantic minutes Ava sat in her bedroom staring at her phone, willing her friend Charlotte to message back, just like she said she would.

She already had a knot in her stomach because Charlotte had been crying on the phone.

Charlotte told Ava she was going to have a shower and then would be back. The message that finally landed filled Ava with panic.

“She wrote ‘I’m Sorry’ and then she was gone.”

The brave Year Seven student from suburban Sydney couldn’t contain her tears when she relayed the final conversation she had with her online friend.

Ava was the last person to speak to Charlotte O’Brien before she took her own life on September 9 this year.

Ava spoke out for the Charlotte’s Wish documentary, with her dad by her side, because she said she loved Charlotte and her friend “wanted everyone to know”. They asked to keep her face obscured for pictures and video, but wanted her words to be heard.

Charlotte O’Brien tragically died by suicide on in September.
Charlotte O’Brien tragically died by suicide on in September.

In a special documentary launched today, The Sunday Telegraph tracks four families whose daughters were bullied to death - all are begging for more rigorous school approaches and interventions to save lives.

Charlotte’s Wish honours the little girl’s dying plea to her parents left in suicide notes - to stop bullying.

“She didn’t want it to happen to anyone else and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else,” Ava said.

Her friend Ava has spoken about her final conversation with Charlotte. Picture: Supplied
Her friend Ava has spoken about her final conversation with Charlotte. Picture: Supplied

Charlotte, a student at Santa Sabina College, left suicide notes telling her mum to share her story, tell the school and to raise awareness.

“On the night of … she was sad, so I called her and I was like ‘hey what’s going on?’ Ava said.

“And that’s when she told me there was stuff like a group chat being made about her and she was telling me how they were saying she was fat and ugly and she should go kill herself and I was like ‘that’s not true, you’re not none of those don’t believe them’.

“She was still crying and she said she was going to have a shower and I said ‘call me back in like five minutes’. I waited that five minutes and then I just got ‘I’m sorry’.”

Watch the full Charlotte’s Wish documentary at the Sunday Telegraph

Originally published as Friend reveals Charlotte O’Brien’s final message to her before suicide

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/lifestyle/friend-reveals-charlotte-obriens-final-message-to-her-before-suicide/news-story/f713b9c513e5989ee9f6e0be26da5820