Popular: Rosie Whitaker, who once performed at London's Royal Opera House, was a 'popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents'
Hello Friends!
A distraught couple are calling for a ban on anorexia and suicide websites following the death of their daughter.
Rosie Whitaker, 15, was hit by a train in what British Transport Police are treating as a suicide.
Her family believe Monday night’s tragedy came from reading and writing on websites where girls idealise slim celebrities such as Kate Moss, while describing how they cut themselves and contemplate taking their own lives.
In a blog, Rosie, a talented ballet dancer, spoke of her struggles with bulimia, her compulsion to slash herself with a razor blade and plans to kill herself. Callous strangers responded by telling the clearly underweight girl she was fat and urging her to commit suicide.
In April, Rosie wrote: ‘This girl just told me to go kill myself. I don’t even know what to do. I’m sitting here crying my eyes out, praying that the people around me will be okay.
‘Praying that I won’t pick up a blade. I just don’t understand how someone could say that, say that to someone who has been planning their suicide for almost 3 weeks.’
On Monday night – a couple of hours after writing on her blog ‘I’m so f****** sorry’ – the teenager appears to have carried out her plan to end her life. She was pronounced dead on the rail line close to her home in Beckenham, south-east London, after being hit by the Victoria to Ramsgate train.
The tragedy, and Rosie’s family’s planned campaign against the offending websites, will add to concern about online communities that encourage vulnerable youngsters to starve themselves and take their own lives.
Dr Alice Cole-King, a psychiatrist, said: ‘There is a growing body of evidence that vulnerable and distressed people can be unduly influenced by suicide and self-harm promoting websites.’
Rosie’s family issued a statement yesterday saying: ‘She was a popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents, including dancing and performing at the Royal Opera House, diving, writing poetry and piano playing.
‘For most of her life, she was very happy and planned to follow a career in which she would help others.
‘She was a well-balanced and well-loved young lady who had everything to live for.
Tributes: Friends of Rosie left flowers and notes at Beckenham Station in tribute to the schoolgirl
You'll never be forgotten: One of Rosie's friends left a note expressing her sadness at the schoolgirl's death
‘However, during a period of stress brought on by the pressures of conforming to her peer group and studying hard for GCSE exams, it appears she was, unfortunately, heavily influenced by websites and online communities promoting self-harm and suicide.
‘We hope her tragic death serves as a warning to other impressionable youngsters and their parents that such sites pose grave risks.’
‘We hope her tragic death serves as a warning to other impressionable youngsters and their parents that such sites pose grave risks.’
A British Transport Police spokesman said Rosie’s parents were planning to launch a campaign against suicide and self-harming websites.
‘The websites she was looking at are things we will be examining as we compile a report for the coroner,’ he added.
According to her blog, Rosie, who was an army cadet, had been plagued by thoughts of death, and false beliefs that she was fat and unattractive.
It appears she had given up her habit of obsessively cutting herself with a razor blade, but an apparent relationship break-up seems to have tipped her over the edge.
She also repeatedly referred to her weight and starvation attempts.
Rosie posted numerous photographs of excessively thin models – some distorted to make the women even more skeletal than in reality – and others of arms slashed by a razor blade.
She spoke of having obvious wounds she had to hide from her mother.
In the heading of her blog are the words ‘And then she broke’, beneath which she declared: ‘Rosie, 15, London. Recovering. I’m a s*** person. I have a s*** blog and everything is just s***.’
Last Thursday, just before midnight, she wrote on her blog: ‘I have to go to a wedding tomorrow which is s***** because I look s*** in everything and I’m fatter and uglier than ever and I have s*** loads of scars that my mum doesn’t know about eurgh basically this is all s***.’
Rosie's dancing achievements had included performing at London's prestigious Royal Opera House
Tragic: Rosie's body was found on a railway line near Beckenham Junction (pictured) on Monday night
Following her death, a friend wrote on the front page of her blog: ‘Unfortunately Rosie passed away on June 11 2012.’
‘Rosie was a very talented student who excelled at music, diving, dance and creative writing.
‘She was an inspiration to those who taught her as well as those who learned with her. More importantly, she was much loved by students as well as staff.
‘Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.’
Friends of Rosie and others left tributes to her on memorial pages online, with close friend Bryony Wilde writing: ‘You are at peace now, and I will remember every single moment I spent with you when you filled my life with happiness.
‘You are a kind, clever, amazing, talented, sweet girl and I will never forget you. Rest in peace, baby, remember, I love you.’
Anyone who feels in need of support or advice may contact Samaritans on 08457 909090 or email jo@samaritans.org
Culled from The Daily Mail UK
xoxo
Simply Cheska...
No comments:
Post a Comment