The mother of a teenager who took her own life after receiving a series of abusive texts from her boyfriend's wife says she will keep battling for a law change in the fight against cyber bullies.
Hayley-Ann Fenton was 15 when she took her own life by taking her father's heart medication after receiving threatening text messages believed to be from her "first love'', 27-year-old Pelesasa Tuimalu who had just broken up with her.
The text messages were actually sent from his wife, Elina, who sent a series of abusive tirades, including: "**** off stop texting me or my wife going to come kill you.''
Despite Hayley-Ann earlier saying she could not handle just being friends with Tuimalu and she could not live without him so was "gonna go now''. Elina - pretending to be Tuimalu - texted: `Don't text me again just **** off I don't care if you kill yourself I not even like you *********.''
Hayley-Ann replied with a number of texts including one which said: "I'll stop texting now if that's what you want I'll stop see you and I'm not going to kill myself.''
Within half an hour Hayley-Ann emerged unwell from her bedroom and was rushed to hospital, but died at 6.05am the next day.
In findings into her death, released today, Coroner Wallace Bain said the overarching cause was the "shocking, bullying'' texts received from Elina.
"Words struggle to describe the language used and the context of it. This 15-year-old girl was alone.''
Speaking to APNZ after reading the Coroner's findings, Hayley-Ann's mother, Lesley Fenton, said she was blown away by the findings and was pleased it backed up everything she had been fighting for in the three years since Hayley-Ann died.
"It's just so sad, we definitely need a law change, because technology today - we're in the 21st century today - we're not back in the 80s and 90s anymore and the whole purpose of technology is to be safe. How can we all be safe if this is happening?''
Coroner Bain made one recommendation in his findings which called for a law change to cover new forms of cyber communication, particularly cyber bullying.
And for Mrs Fenton that was exactly what she wanted to hear.
"It's massive, a big big smile was on my face when I read it.
"Something has to be done, I don't know how we're going to penalise them, but it can't just carry on to the next victim and the next victim and the next.''
The findings made her even more determined to fight for a law change, but she just hoped it did not take another two years for change to come.
"If it does happen, and I'm hoping it does, and I hope it doesn't take them so long to get there, but if it does happen, I'd just say kia ora to New Zealand, and kia ora to all the whanau who have gone through what we've gone through and lost loved ones.''
Bullying was not new, Dr Bain noted in his findings, but the means of communication now available through cyberspace was new and presented particular problems in being able to deal with the matter.
Dr Bain goes on to list 22 "shocking'' examples - as reported in the media - of cyberspace related bullying.
He does note that the Law Commission is dealing with the issue of cyber bullying at the moment.
"In my view it should seriously consider bringing together an additional law to what already exists which is specific to social media and, in particular, bullying by way of text, email, Facebook, Twitter and others.''
Existing criminal and civil law was capable of dealing with many types of harmful communication, but it pre-dated the internet.
Serious consideration should be given to a law which was clearly accessible to the public and covered the harmful effects of the new ways of communicating.
A year after Hayley-Ann's death, Tuimalu was charged with having a sexual relationship with the underage teen and pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual connection. He was jailed for four years and three months. His wife was earlier given a nine-month suspended sentence for intimidating Hayley.
SUICIDE: WHERE TO GET HELP
If it's an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Or call Youthline 0800 376 633, Lifeline 0800 543 354, Depression Helpline 0800 111 757, What's Up 0800 942 8787 (noon-midnight).
