Father demands justice for daughter who took her life after video of school bullying surfaced
BAYVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A father is demanding accountability from a school in Ocean County, New Jersey, after his 14-year-old daughter took her own life a day after girls in her class beat her up.
The assault that happened in the school hallway was posted online, followed by online bullying that the girl's grieving father said caused his 14-year-old daughter, named Adriana, to take her own life.
The cell phone video was taken one week ago. Adriana died Friday.
"They think it's fun to attack people and take videos and post them," Adriana's father Michael Kuch said. "Getting hit with a water bottle didn't hurt Adriana, what hurt her was the embarrassment and humiliation, they just kept coming at her."
Kuch has not slept while trying to mourn his daughter and get justice for her.
The freshman was hit in the face with a full 20-ounce water bottle three times. On the video, she was punched and kicked and her hair was pulled, while classmates laughed and recorded the attack at school.
Her father says it was meaningless bullying. He says his daughter deserved none of this and was tormented after the videos were posted, as she read mean comments.
"Adriana was the most happy, beautiful young lady in the world, she loved animals," Kuch said.
According to her father, four girls have been charged with third-degree felony assault after her death.
Eyewitness News has not gotten confirmation from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The school superintendent said in a statement, "this was a tragedy."
"My daughter actually blacks out and they don't call an ambulance, they take her to the nurses office," Kuch said.
There have been protests outside of school by parents and students, saying this has happened before, and must stop.
Kuch stresses there was no accountability and no consequences for the four girls who went after Adriana. He says that had there been, she may not have felt so terribly alone.
Kuch said that if the incident were taken seriously, if police and an ambulance were called and if the girls were punished or immediately expelled, he's convinced this would have been very different.
"My daughter's never been in a fight before, she's 98 pounds, 5'2'' and she loves everybody," Kuch said.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three-digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.
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