Lufuno Mavhunga, a 15-year-old in South Africa, died by suicide after a video of her getting allegedly bullied by classmates was posted to social media, according to multiple reports.
Another 15-year-old girl, who was seen slapping Mavhunga several times in the video, was arrested on Wednesday and will be prosecuted using South Africa’s Child Justice Act, according to the Grio. In the video, which was filmed on Monday and has since gone viral, two girls are seen confronting Mavhunga before one seemingly signals to the other and begins slapping Mavhunga.
Mavhunga reportedly previously blocked the girl who slapped her on social media after the girl allegedly sent her threatening messages. All the girls were reportedly tenth-grade students at Mbilwi Secondary School.
After the alleged assault, Mavhunga “reportedly went home in the afternoon and, on arrival, locked herself in the room and consumed an overdose of tablets. She was apparently found by her mother lying unconscious and was taken to Siloam Hospital, where she was certified dead on arrival,” according to police spokesperson Brig. Motlafela Mojapelo, per the Grio.
Dakalo Mavhunga, Lufuno Mavhunga’s older brother told the TimesLive that the teenager’s name translates to “love” and that she was a “very peaceful person.”
“Lufuno was young, and we were expecting more from her. Her departure has hurt us a lot,” Dakalo Mavhunga told the South African news site. “She had love, as her name suggests. … She didn’t fight back when she was being slapped, she only tried to explain. But the girl didn’t even give her a chance.”
“As a family, all we want is for Lufuno to find justice from what she has faced,” he continued. “Maybe after that her soul will rest in peace.”
For more information about suicide prevention or to speak with someone confidentially, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.) or Samaritans (U.K.).
If you are a teen dealing with depression or other mental health issues, see PBS.org for a list of resources and organizations that can help you. If you are an adult, see Mental Health Resources.
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H/T Yahoo News
