‘Leanne’s suicide must act as warning’

THE grieving mother of a bullied teenager who killed herself wants her story to act as a warning to other teenagers contemplating suicide.

Collette Wolfe, 46, is to appear on RTÉ One’s Would You Believe programme on Sunday to talk about the brief life of her daughter Leanne.

Leanne killed herself on March 23 last year by taking a fatal overdose at the family home in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork. Just 13 days earlier she had turned 18.

On the day of her funeral, the Wolfe family found Leanne’s secret diaries detailing how she had been subjected to physical and verbal abuse at the hands of bullies.

“(When) I read them I was so angry — my God I can’t explain the anger,” said Ms Wolfe.

“I was so heartbroken and sad to think that Leanne had to deal with it on her own.”

But Ms Wolfe added: “We can’t take away all the hurt and pain that was caused to Leanne.

“But if there is only one person saved by her story that would make me feel that it is worthwhile,” said Mrs Wolfe.

The family said they only learned the extent of the bullying Leanne suffered after her death when they read the diaries.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner last year, Ms Wolfe said the family was left wondering why Leanne did not confide in them.

One entry in the diary read: “Next few weeks are going to be really tough for me, not sure how I’m gonna get through it. All I’m thinking about is killing myself.”

Another read: “This has gone on for too long. I can’t go on with this s**t no more. I can’t live it no more. Really, I can’t, it’s not fair.”

The RTÉ programme shows how Leanne’s bedroom has since been turned into a shrine to her memory with her 18th birthday cards still on display.

Said Ms Wolfe: “The room is untouched. All the birthday cards are still there. Her birthday presents are still in the cupboard.

“I sit there and look around and think: ‘How did we get to this?’”

The programme comes amid growing concern among the public and politicians about the numbers of men, woman and teenagers who kill themselves in Ireland every year.

Latest figures for Ireland show 409 persons killed themselves in 2006 compared to 365 people who died in road accidents.

* Would You Believe, Sunday, 10.25pm, RTÉ One.