Heartbroken father of schoolgirl, 14, says his daughter was ‘failed’

The heartbroken father of a 14-year-old schoolgirl who a coroner dominated took her personal life after relentless bullying by male pupils stated she was ‘failed’ by the ‘individuals who have been meant to maintain her protected’.

Mia Janin, a 12 months 10 pupil on the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north west London, was discovered lifeless at her household house in Barnet on March 12, 2021.

An inquest this week heard she was subjected to a vicious marketing campaign of bullying by male pupils at college and on-line, which noticed her focused in a degrading boys-only Snapchat group.

North London space coroner Tony Murphy, sitting at Barnet coroner’s court docket, concluded at this time Mia ‘took her life whereas nonetheless a baby and whereas nonetheless within the technique of maturing into maturity’.

He stated she ‘skilled bullying behaviour from some male college students’.

Tragically, Mia’s mom, Marisa Janin, died simply months after her daughter following an aneurysm.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Janin informed reporters: ‘Nothing will convey again my spouse and my daughter Mia. For nearly three years, we’ve got sought solutions for the lack of Mia.

‘Today, we discover a number of the solutions on the failure of the individuals who belief and have been meant to maintain her protected.

‘My daughter skilled extended and sustained bullying in varied methods in particular person and on-line.

‘In a means, it is a reduction this has now been recognised.

‘However, there must be accountability. Another household can not stay what I’ve lived.

‘I’m representing my spouse and my daughter, who all the time held kindness in the direction of others, and I’ll stick with it.’

He paid tribute to his ‘unbelievable’ daughter, including: ‘She was a really bubbly, and had a very good sense of humour. She was lovely. She was very form, very inventive.’

Mr Janin, an inside designer initially from Argentina, referred to as for modifications in on-line legal guidelines ‘to guard our children’.

He stated limits must be placed on youngsters’s web entry and clearer methods for authorities to gather social media knowledge within the occasion of different tragedies like Mia’s loss of life.

He added: ‘The faculty must be extra vigilant. They have to contain extra younger individuals who perceive all this social media and all this expertise higher than us.’

He additionally referred to as for faculties to be ‘clear’ on values and the way they transmit these to college students so individuals can ‘respect each other’.

He added: ‘It’s quite simple. It’s nothing to do with me. Unfortunately, I’m a sufferer of this failing system.’

He welcomed the modifications Mia’s former faculty had made since her loss of life, and stated Dr David Moody, the headteacher, appeared to be ‘doing a very good job’.

Mr Janin additionally signalled his help for the net security act, which grew to become legislation in October, as ‘one thing that’s proper’ however stated he wouldn’t again a ban on smartphones in class.

Coroner Mr Murphy stated Mia was final seen alive at about 10pm on March 11 2021 when she stated goodnight to her dad and mom of their household house.

Earlier that night, she informed them she had a ‘troublesome week’ at college and requested to maneuver to a unique secondary faculty, which they agreed to take a look at, he added.

But Mia was discovered hanged by her dad and mom at about 6.50am the next day.

Police later discovered two letters in Mia’s handwriting on her mattress addressed to ‘her loving household and associates’, which ‘defined that Mia determined to finish her life’.

Mr Murphy stated Mia had ‘shut associates, together with at her secondary faculty, however she additionally skilled bullying from some male college students’.

He added: ‘On 10 March 2021, Mia had posted a video on social media asking two of those male college students to not mock her and criticising their music and trend.

‘This video obtained a lot of hostile responses, which Mia discovered tense.’

He stated neither Mia’s household nor lecturers have been conscious of the bullying earlier than her loss of life and her loss of life was ‘completely sudden by her household, associates and lecturers’.

This week’s inquest heard she was bullied ‘on buses, at school and at house’ by a bunch of boys who ‘nonetheless bully different college students’.

Mia, whose friendship group was labelled the ‘suicide squad’ months earlier than she died, was additionally focused on-line, together with in a vile boys-only Snapchat group which ridiculed and posted nude photographs of feminine pupils.

Other photographs within the group present the ladies’ faces photoshopped onto the our bodies of porn stars.

But a TikTok video Mia made hitting again at two of her tormentors was shared to the group and led to such a backlash that she was left ‘extraordinarily scared’ to go to high school the following day.

In voice messages despatched to associates the night time earlier than, she stated: ‘I’m mentally making ready myself to get bullied’.

Mr Murphy had stated there was no proof about whether or not any data, photographs or movies about Mia have been posted within the social media teams save for the TikTok video.

The faculty’s former deputy heard, Rabbi Howard Cohen, stated he solely discovered of the Snapchat group – and a WhatsApp group the place boys rated women’ attractiveness – after Mia’s loss of life.

He talked to the boys alleged to be members of 1 group and stated they agreed to ‘disband’ the group. He stated he no motive to consider the social media teams have been any means linked to Mia.

JFS informed the inquest it didn’t know Mia was being bullied or of the existence of the Snapchat group earlier than her loss of life.