One Western Pennsylvania family is speaking out after their 15-year-old daughter commits suicide after being bullied. In an age where teen suicides are becoming more common, they did not want their daughter’s death to be just a statistic. Sadie L. Riggs hung herself, as confirmed by the family’s obituary for their daughter. In the hopes of bringing awareness of the deadly consequences of bullying, the family is speaking out.
“In an effort to debunk the rumors about Sadie’s death, we would like to share this information,” the obituary on the Louis Geisel Funeral Home website said after the 15-year-old-girl committed suicide due to bullying.
“Yes, Sadie took her own life; she hung herself. It is hard to fathom that someone so young could be so troubled. Sadie was seeking help; she was in counseling and taking medication, but it was all too much for such a young soul to live with.” Sadie died on June 19, 2017.
“For a young lady so excited about going to the high school, things sure went terribly wrong for her. For the bullies involved, please know you were effective in making her feel worthless,” the obituary said. “That is all between you and God now, but please know that it is not too late to change your ways.”
There is no question that Sadie was loved. In the end, the pain must have been too much for her. Her aunt, Sarah Smith, floods her Facebook page with messages of love and grief over the loss of her niece. Photos of happier times fill the page with Sadie’s smile. Sadie was living with her aunt before she passed away.
“Sadie’s death has taken us to dark places; we will stick together and protect one another as we try to make sense of this tragic loss. To all the bullies out there, I just want you to know that as much as we despise your actions, never, ever do we wish for you to feel the paralyzing pain that engulfs our bodies, a pain so severe that it makes the simple act of breathing difficult or the guilt that leaves us wondering what we could have done differently-or that struggle to remember the last words we spoke.”
At Goldstein & Bashner, we take bullying very seriously and were devastated at hearing the story of this teen girl’s suicide. According to Neal Goldstein, “No parent should have to bury their child. To know that their child was bullied to the point of suicide is crushing and heartbreaking. Her death is highlighting the growing concerns of bullying among young people in a social media-driven society. We need to do more as a community to stop the bullying from happening. We need to be kinder to each other. Those who torment others need to be held accountable. In our experience, a lot of bullying happens on school grounds. Ultimately, schools need to do even more and be vigilant against any type of bullying. Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to Sadie’s family and friends.”
Feeling helpless after hearing this story of a 16-year-old girl commit suicide after being bullied? Read our overview and an 8-point checklist to help you take a stand against bullying and hopefully put an end to it. You can also contact our compassionate team for help with a personal injury case if bullying has led to severe harm.
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Goldstein and Bashner
