Bullying victim took her own life

Beckie Daley, 15, of Watford, had been bullied at two schools, but felt nothing was being done to help her.

Finally, in despair in November last year, after being "grounded" by her parents for not handing her homework in on time, she hanged herself.

The inquest recorded a verdict that Beckie had taken her own life.

The Hertfordshire coroner Edward Thomas, speaking at an inquest into Beckie's death, said: "There were opportunities missed in relation to her."

'Self harm'

Beckie, a Year 10 pupil at Francis Combe School in Watford, Hertfordshire, was found hanging by her mother and step-father at the family home on Sunday 19 November last year.

As early as 2004, the inquest at Hatfield was told, there were signs that all was not well with Beckie.

She was seen with a cut to her hand and said she had experienced feelings of self harm.

Even so, her school at the time, Westfield School in Watford, did not follow up the matter. Her doctor was not informed.

She made an allegation against someone at the school, which was found to have no basis, and eventually moved to Francis Combe.

'Nasty incident'

At first she got on well with staff and other pupils, but as with her previous school she began to experience bullying and taunts.

In a "particularly nasty" incident the coroner said Beckie was attacked in the street by a large group of school children.

The school appeared to take it seriously and photographed the injuries to her face.

Even so, the inquest was told, the matter was not taken any further.

The coroner said bullying was particularly difficult for adolescents who were "not equipped to deal with things in a way which you can when you are much older".

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