12 replies to this topic

[Transducer09]

Popular: Rosie Whitaker, who once performed at London's Royal Opera House, was a 'popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents'

The devastated family of a talented ballerina, who performed at the Royal Opera House, said she was 'heavily influenced' by websites promoting self-harm and suicide before she was killed by a train.
The body of Rosie Whitaker, 15, was found on a railway line close to her home in Beckenham, Kent, on Monday night.
Today her family described by her family as a 'popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents'.
They told of their pride at her dancing achievements, which included study at the London School of Contemporary Dance and performances at prestigious London venues including the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Theatre Royal.
But she had been struggling under the 'pressures of conforming to her peer group and studying hard for GCSE exams' in the months leading up to her death, her family said.
In a heart-rending statement, her family hit out at internet sites that advocate self harm and suicide, adding that they hoped their daughter's death would serve as a warning to parents.
They said in a statement: 'Rosie was a popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents, including dancing and performing at the Royal Opera House, diving, writing poetry and piano playing.

'For most of her life, she was very happy and planned to follow a career in which she would help others. She was a well-balanced and well-loved young lady who had everything to live for.
'However, during a period of stress brought on by the pressures of conforming to her peer group and studying hard for GCSE exams, it appears she was, unfortunately, heavily influenced by websites and online communities promoting self-harm and suicide.


Tragic: Rosie's body was found on a railway line near Beckenham Junction (pictured) on Monday night

'We hope her tragic death serves as a warning to other impressionable youngsters and their parents that such sites pose grave risks.
'Rosie will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all her family and friends and we ask that we can be left to grieve over this terrible tragedy in private.'
British Transport Police are not treating her death as suspicious.
A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman said: 'BTP officers attended the line near to Beckenham Junction rail station on Monday, June 11 after a girl was struck by a train.
'The incident was reported to BTP at 9.36pm and was also attended by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service.
'Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service attended but the girl, 15-year-old Rosie Whitaker, from Beckenham, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
'The incident is currently being treated as non-suspicious and a file will be prepared for the Coroner.'

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1xh7Eu5Op

Tragic, she had such a bright future ahead of her. I never knew this girl but saw her before as she lived in my area and you would never have thought anything was wrong. It is just un believable what these websites are doing to people, they're poison!
It's also so sad that she couldn't conform to her peer group - but for the sake of her friends and family at such a difficult time I'm not going to dwell on what factor that actually had - RIP Rosie Whitaker.

Edited by Cheetah, 13 June 2012 - 05:45 PM.

[Dovahkiin]

Why are such Website's allowed to feed, this is why i am support of a strict internet.

[David]

As distasteful as the website might be, and as awful as it's going to sound, I would suggest anyone influenced by such sites already have some sort of problem in their lives anyway. Perhaps in finding it hard to adjust to her peer group, she was also finding it hard to adjust to her dancing for everyone else - and that could beg the question, what did she really want? Both? Neither? Who knows. No one ever will.

All I know is she is a tragic girl in a tragic case and I believe the website merely triggered whatever was that was bothering her.

[jvt1]

I think David is right, the websites most likely contributed to a larger or lesser degree, but a website alone doesn't make you suicidal.

All in all just a very tragic incident. RIP

[Kellym82]

I do think David is right, but I also think it could be argued that such a website could be the thing that pushes someone over the edge. It's such a shame she didn't feel as though she had anywhere else to turn.

RIP to a young girl who sounded like she had such a promising future ahead of her

[Josh'Grizzly'Gregory]

I think David is right, the websites most likely contributed to a larger or lesser degree, but a website alone doesn't make you suicidal.

All in all just a very tragic incident. RIP

I wouldn't say that, if I didn't know any better and believed every word that the Daily Mail printed I'd be suicidal after reading one article considering the majority of the stuff they print is disheartening news.

RIP to her though. It is sad to me that someone had reached that stage where they felt they had no way out but to commit suicide.

[jvt1]

RIP to her though. It is sad to me that someone had reached that stage where they felt they had no way out but to commit suicide.

I think its equally as sad that whatever signs there may have been were either not picked up on or ignored.
And before anyone jumps down my throat, that's not to blame any one person or even a number of people, I just think its a real shame that no one saw what was going on before it was too late.

O and good point about the Daily Fail!

[Stratos]

While this is tragic and all...

Why are such Website's allowed to feed, this is why i am support of a strict internet.

No. A strict internet? You mean like they have in Iran and China? That we seem to be slowly creeping towards with the recent block on the Pirate Bay and this talk of blocking internet porn?

Let's ban talking about suicide because doing so makes people kill themselves. Let's ban porn because it turns people into rapists. While we're at it let's ban violent films and hope that violent crime goes away.

I'm reminded of the debate I had on here a while back with someone as they were in favour of a law requiring all dogs to be muzzled (because think of the children). Quite frankly I'm sick of defending all manner of quite legal things from the moral brigade who seek to ban absolutely everything they disagree with, find distasteful or think is somehow a threat to them.

I think the Daily Mail is disgusting. It lies about absolutely everything and spreads its hate to millions. To paraphrase a quote I once heard, what a journalist writes in London can get someone's skull cracked open in Bradford. Yet still, I wouldn't ban the Mail if it was up to me. Just as I wouldn't with these "suicide websites", whatever they are.

Edited by Stratos, 13 June 2012 - 08:39 PM.

[MrKguy]

tragic death, this is the sort of website that needs to be blocked, not sites like piratebay that pose no real threat. tragic loss.

All I know is she is a tragic girl in a tragic case and I believe the website merely triggered whatever was that was bothering her.

you got it absolutely correct, the website probably only triggered something and was not the cause - I dont think this case can be used to "censor" the internet, as done so by virgin and other sites with pirate bay and other sites like it.

[Josh'Grizzly'Gregory]

I think its equally as sad that whatever signs there may have been were either not picked up on or ignored.
And before anyone jumps down my throat, that's not to blame any one person or even a number of people, I just think its a real shame that no one saw what was going on before it was too late.

O and good point about the Daily Fail!

Perhaps she wasn't displaying any in public and hid it well. It is kind of like comedians, happy and jokey on stage but we don't see the reality off stage.

Haha much obliged regarding the comment

[Dave SYP]

Another tragic case. Unfortunately, it seems some people are 'predisposed' to this kind of behaviour and it only takes one little thing to trigger the final act. It is heart breaking for the families and those closest to them. I hope they can find peace.

[Sam_McCully]

Rest in peace to a young lady who would have had a bright future in front of her.

Thoughts with her family and friends who have had a tragic loss.

My thoughts with all concerned.

Sam

[Obsidian_Eclipse]

Self harm can be a difficult issue to deal with.. I dont know which website she was looking at, but some websites can be useful for people struggling to cope with issues they cant raise (for whatever reason) with family or doctors. Its hard to describe what goes through the mind of a self harmer and very few people seem to understand the process of thoughts, they might believe it attention seeking or not fitting in. Sometimes self harmers find consolation in others who harm themselves too, it might seem odd to a non self harmer that there might be relief in discovering others who accept it (if not promote it).

Yes, a self harmer needs help and with the correct encouragement they will seek it. Being isolated from others doesnt help, but I would hope that any (former) self harmer would do there upmost to help others out of the desperate situation they were in themselves. Indeed there are people out there who seek to ruin other peoples lives as a way of feeling better (by promoting further harm). The best thing anyone can do to help someone is to be there and be open minded.. Dont judge.. Dont say its 'wrong'!. For goodness sake never say its stupid or silly.. Just be supportive and listen. They were get there in their own good time.

Its sad when a person takes their own life. Its also odd when we consider 'suicide' as an option for people with serious conditions, the majority of people seem to support suicide as acceptable when someone suffers serious pain or has a terminal desease. The emotional pain that a self harmer carries with them can be just as traumatic as these. Its easy to imagine that someone can pull themselves together, snap out of it or take some pills to feel better. But the process can be truly heart wrenching. It doesnt surprise me in the least that we have people promoting suicide.. But at the same time, who is willing to go the distance and help this person through years (or even a lifetime) of getting better? We all imagine someone else will pick up the pieces, but there are people like this all over the country who need help.

Be there for your friends. Dont ignore whats happening to them but dont make it a focus either. Talk.. But most of all be prepared to listen.