Cyber bullying drives primary school girl to suicide

She took the photo of herself on Thursday and allegedly sent it to her friend, who is said to then have forwarded the picture to various groups on WhatsApp.

Sinoville Crisis Centre's Sonja Carstens believes the bullying by other learners might have led to the 13-year-old committing suicide.

"She went to speak to the teachers and asked them to assist her against these children who were teasing her. Unfortunately, it was too much for her and she committed suicide yesterday (Monday) morning," says Carstens.

Carstens says the learner has allegedly teased the whole weekend.

"She did tell her parents about this; her mother went to speak to the principal yesterday morning, but when the mother arrived back home she had already committed suicide."

Carstens says the department of education is at the school to investigate the incident.

Listen below: 

The Gauteng Education department has meanwhile expressed it's sadness with this death

Spokesperson Steve Mabona says officials from the department visited the family late on Monday.

He added psychologists will be deployed to the school on Tuesday to assist with counselling for the affected learners.

According to Mabona, the learner was teased about not progressing to the next grade and he says it is believed that this also led to her traumatisation.

"We need to make sure that learners understand when they are at school they are there to be taught, they are there to get knowledge, they are not there to ridicualed other learners.

"We will contiune to support the family. This afternoon (Tuesday), the leadership of the district will go back to the family just to make sure that we confirm that as the department we support the family, " Mabona said.