EXCLUSIVE
The estranged father of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life after allegedly being bullied at a Sydney private school was released from prison about 18 months ago after serving more than seven years for a violent crime.
Charlotte O’Brien had recently learned of her biological father’s criminal past and told fellow students at Santa Sabina College at Strathfield about what he had done.
Daily Mail has chosen not to publish details about those offences.
Charlotte’s mother Kelly claims staff at Santa Sabina were aware her daughter was being harassed by other Year 7 girls before she took her own life on September 9.
Emails released by Kelly on Wednesday show she had been in frequent contact with staff members about Charlotte’s bullying and mental health for two years before the tragedy.
In one email, sent in August 2022, Kelly said she was shattered to learn that Charlotte had told friends about her father’s past after looking him up on Google.
‘I was devastated to hear what she said to her friends,’ her mother told one staff member.
‘The thought that someone else’s actions are still plaguing my baby years later is very hard.
‘But I understand that she is significantly older and now may feel the need to confide and trust in her friends.’
She added: ‘I have done everything I can to shelter and nurture Charlotte and regularly check on her emotional well-being and thoughts on the subject.
‘And she repeatedly told me it wasn’t an issue.
‘So I took this as reassurance, probably because it was what I wanted to hear and made peace with it.’
Daily Mail understands Charlotte’s father is now living in the community with a new partner.
His sister made an emotional tribute to her niece on Instagram last week, saying she would be ‘forever an angel’.
‘I always have and always will love you,’ she wrote.
‘I hope you are at peace now sweet girl and I hope you know how much you are loved by us.’
The tragedy was revealed when her family spoke out in a bid, they said, to stop their daughter’s alleged bullying from being ‘swept under the carpet’ by the school.
In the discussions with the school, Kelly noted Charlotte had been left ‘distressed’ due to ‘friendship issues’ and arrangements were made for her to see a counsellor.
Kelly remained in contact with staff about her daughter’s welfare over the past two years, with the most recent exchange occurring in August.
On Monday, the school said some claims made about the circumstances that led to Charlotte’s death are ‘new to the College’ and ‘not consistent with our records’.
In a statement to 2GB’s Ben Fordham earlier this week, Kelly and her partner said Charlotte’s death with ‘haunt us for the rest of our lives’.
They said Charlotte had left a note specifically mentioning the bullying she was suffering at school.
‘No words can ever describe what it’s like for us, and it will never be the same again,’ they said.
‘When the most recent case of bullying was raised, the school simply said it was investigated and the girls denied it. That’s it. Case closed. Move on.
‘Well my beautiful daughter’s life won’t move on and I’ll never get to say goodbye.
‘These issues cannot be swept under the carpet. I will not let my daughter’s memory be swept under the carpet either.’
Charlotte’s death came just weeks before her mother is due to marry her long-term partner in October.
Just days before the tragedy, Charlotte and Kelly went shopping to pick out their dresses for the wedding.
‘Charlotte picked a pink dress and Kelly picked a blue dress,’ a source close to the family told Daily Mail .
‘Charlotte used to love looking out for pink and blue colours because her mum’s favourite colour is blue and Charlotte loved pink.
In a statement to Daily Mail , Santa Sabina College said some of the claims made about the circumstances surrounding Charlotte’s death were ‘inconsistent’ with their records and that their focus was on helping students in the wake of the tragedy.
‘In the outpouring of grief as everyone rightly questions how this could have happened, the College asks the media to take immense care in reporting so that further issues are not created for other vulnerable young people in our community and beyond,’ the statement read.
‘The main priority of the College at the moment is to support and care for our students, their families and our staff as well as support for this grieving family.
‘While the College supports the idea of raising awareness of mental health challenges, we have to take into account that children are involved and this situation needs to be carefully navigated.’
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