The grieving parents of 12-year-old Charlotte O'Brien, an Australian teenager who tragically took her own life after being relentlessly bullied, shared their final moments with their daughter in an interview on 60 Minutes.
Mat and Kelly Howard went on the program to fulfill what they stated to be Charlotte's last request: to share her story and raise awareness about the dangers of social media and its effects on the psychological well-being of teenagers.
Highlights
- Parents share final moments with Charlotte on 60 Minutes to fulfill her last wish.
- Charlotte's improved mood before her death stunned her family.
- Bullying on social media pushed Charlotte to take her life.
- The Howards are advocating to ban social media for under 16s.
"We were aware she had been struggling, but the last two weeks were the best we'd seen her in a long time," Mat shared, recounting how blindsided he felt by his daughter's improved mood just before she took her own life.
"It felt like we were finally making progress. She had a great day at school, and Kelly made her favorite dinner," the father explained. "She was so excited, she ran into the house, ate her meal, and later skipped to bed."
The parents of Charlotte O'Brien, the teenager who was "bullied to death," shared details of their final moments with their daughter on 60 Minutes
Image credits: 60Mins
"That was the last time we saw her," Mat said before breaking down in tears, firmly clutching the teddy bear Charlotte's ashes are being stored inside of.
Charlotte was a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Sydney's inner-west. Before the incident, she left her parents handwritten notes. The letters contained her final wishes, with one urging her mother to keep going for her baby brother, Will, and another asking them to share her story.
Image credits: 2GB
Desperate to find a reason, the Howards eventually discovered that the bullying that tormented their daughter at school followed her everywhere. It had spread to social media apps like Snapchat and others, which they say pushed her over the edge that night.
Image credits: 60Mins
"She barely had her phone, and yet it was enough to lead to this," Mat explained, keeping the nature of the messages and bullying that caused Charlotte so much distress private.
The parents are now pushing for legislation that would ban social media use for teenagers younger than 16 with the support of Australia's Prime Minister
Image credits: 60Mins
The following morning, Kelly's heart broke in half when she discovered her daughter's lifeless body with her phone lying on the floor close by.
Upon asking for explanations from authorities, all they told her was that she had been searching for ways to take her own life and that "in today's world, all it takes is a quick Google search."
"I feel we're handling our kids dangerous weapons when we give them these devices," Kelly reflected. "It's like giving them the whole world, with all its dangers, right in their hands."
After Charlotte's passing, convinced of the dangers of easy, unrestricted access to social media for teenagers, Mat and Kelly traveled to Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, hoping to press for legislation to ban social media use for children under 16.
Image credits: 2GB
"Social media is harming our kids, and it's time to stop," Albanese told local media. "I want parents to be able to tell their children, 'Sorry, that's against the law.'"
For Charlotte's parents, passing such legislation would mean that her loss was not in vain. "She didn't have the chance to build her legacy, but maybe this can be it," Mat stated.
"Something needs to be done," wrote one viewer, as others joined in to demand justice for what happened to Charlotte
