US girl aged 12 dies by suicide after being bullied at school

A 12-year-old girl in Las Vegas died by suicide after she was constantly bullied at school, American media reported on Friday (May 17). The victim was identified asFlora Martinez, and she was a student of theDuane D. Keller Middle School. Martinez died by suicide on May 7, and her funeral was heldon Thursday,a report by 8NewsNow said.

Martinez's parents described their daughteras someone full of life, empathetic, and an artist who loved ice cream and seafood.“I feel like the school had a duty to keep her safe, while she was in their care and they just failed miserably,” her mother Alice told8NewsNow.

Bullying began in 2023

As per the report, Martinez's parents noticed a change in her behaviour after she began studyingin grade six at the Keller Middle School in August last year. The parents said that their childwas tormented by bullies, and the school failed to protect her.

Problems for Martinez started right away at the beginning of the academic year, her mother said. According to Alice, her daughter washaving run-ins with some classmates.

The girl reported the problems to the school's assistant principal and her parents also became involved in the matter.Alice said that shesubmitted paperwork for a transfer of her daughter out of Keller. However, theClark County School District (CCSD) denied the request in October 2023.

“At that point, I already had her out of school for two weeks because of all the incidents. Just that short amount of time into the school year,” Alice said, adding, that once the 12-year-old was back in school, the bullying intensified.

“This wasn’t just one incident that happened, and you know, she decided to take her life. This was months and months and months of bullying that built up, and finally, she just couldn’t take it no more,” the victim's father Joshua said.

Indiana boy dies by suicide

The incident came just two days after a 10-year-old boy in Indiana died by suicide after he was bullied.Sammy Teusch was relentlessly bullied by his schoolmates until he decided to end his life on May 5, his parents Sam and Nichole said.

"Iheld him in my arms.I did the thing no father should ever have to do, and any time I close my eyes,it’sall I can see," Sam was quoted as saying by the New York Post.

(With inputs from agencies)