Kelly shared memories of Charlotte as a generous girl who was like a “little mummy” to her baby brother and loved holidays. She would go out of her way to help her mum, such as cleaning the kitchen while Kelly slept.
“I couldn’t wait to go to sleep so I could see you in the morning. Now, my angel, I can’t wait to go to sleep so I can see you in my dreams,” she said.
The order of service for the funeral of Santa Sabina student Charlotte and pictures of her and her family,
Kelly said she would try her best to live on and fulfil Charlotte’s dreams, like holidaying in New York and Disneyland.
Mat thanked Charlotte for letting him into her life when he first met Kelly and giving her stamp of approval.
“Thank you for giving me the greatest honour – of being your dad,” he said.
Mat read from the last Father’s Day card he would receive from Charlotte, where she described him as her “captain”.
The Santa Sabina student struggled with what her parents described as “friendship issues” at the school, and cried almost every day on her way to class.
In a letter left for her parents, Charlotte described the bullying she endured at the Strathfield private school, and told them her life was too difficult to continue.
Experts say suicide is complex and is rarely attributable to a single factor. Common risk factors for youth suicide are a mental health condition or a physical disability, but bullying, family problems and grief are also risk factors.
Charlotte’s death has shone a spotlight on how schools handle cases of bullying among students.
Loading
Her parents say they raised issues of bullying multiple times with Santa Sabina and were disappointed with the response.
Charlotte’s parents were taking her to therapy and were in the process of moving her to a different school when she died.
In response to claims from Kelly and Mat that they raised Charlotte’s bullying with the school, a spokesperson for Santa Sabina said the allegations were new or inconsistent with their records.