CHARLOTTE'S WISH

HER FAMILY HAS TURNED GRIEF INTO ACTION

- By Emma Levett

It's a story that has become tragically common among Australian students, and in September 2024, 12-year-old Charlotte O'Brien joined the horrifyingly long line of young people to take their own lives as a result of school bullying.

Charlotte, a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Sydney, experienced years of online and offline abuse which culminated in her death. Notes left for her family asked them to share her story, tell the school and to raise awareness.

It’s something parents Kelly and Mat O’Brien have done tirelessly since their daughter died, impressing the need for schools to take complaints and concerns of bullying seriously and alleging this was not the case in Charlotte's situation.

“I am not after any retribution, it's not about that. I know I’m dealing with 12-year-old girls here,” Mat told 2GB’s Ben Fordham in the weeks after losing Charlotte.