A girl is facing an ACT Supreme Court trial after she was accused of encouraging her ex-boyfriend to take his own life. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to suicide, mental health and sexual assault.
A trial has heard a teenage girl allegedly sent more than 100 abusive messages to her ex-boyfriend, including telling him to kill himself, shortly before he attempted suicide.
The girl, who legally cannot be named due to her age, is fighting the allegations against her in an ACT Supreme Court jury trial that began earlier this month.
Jurors heard she attended the same Canberra school as the boy and had a short-term relationship with him when she was 14 and he was 15 in 2022.
During their relationship, she allegedly orally raped him, punched him in the face and left his back covered in scratches that left scars.
When jurors heard closing submissions on Wednesday (17 September), prosecutor Tamzin Lee read out text messages sent between the pair after they broke up.
“I took punches, kicks, hard biting, scars on my face and hands to stay with you,” the boy said.
“I play fought with you and you knew that,” the girl replied.
In a later message, she allegedly told him, “I’m sorry, I want you to know it was never intentional to hurt you (the physical s-t). I’m sorry”.
Ms Lee said they later got into an argument over text because the boy had unblocked a friend on social media whom the girl had requested he block during their relationship.
“I’m blocking you, you’re a backstabbing c-t,” the girl allegedly told him.
Ms Lee alleged the messages escalated, saying “there’s more than 100 of them”.
For instance, the girl allegedly told the boy, “You’re a bad person”, “You’re actually dense”, “You look like a clown”, “You only apologise to people to make yourself feel better”, “Usually I say people can change, but not you”, “You’re a baby and you constantly whine about everything” and “No one likes you any more bro”.
The boy messaged her, “Stop”, but the girl allegedly told him, “No. KYS”. This is an abbreviation that can mean ‘kill yourself’.
Ms Lee also said the boy told the girl, “I am crying, just stop now”, to which she replied, “Okay. IDC”. This can mean ‘I don’t care’.
Jurors heard the boy attempted to take his own life, but was discovered and taken to hospital.
The prosecutor alleged the repetition of the relentless messages – indicating the boy had no friends, no one liked him, he looked like a clown and was a bad person – became “repeated harassment” at some point.
She claimed the girl knew the boy struggled with his mental health and felt suicidal, as he had told her.
Defence barrister Richard Edney said during the message exchange his client told the boy, “I’ve never been so angry” and “I’m just reacting with all my bottled-up anger”.
He argued her “unbridled anger” in the context of what had been an “emotionally abusive relationship” didn’t represent an intent to make the boy go and do “anything like that”.
Mr Edney claimed the boy was an insecure young male in his first serious relationship who developed a pattern of threatening self-harm and suicide. He alleged this was “manipulation and emotional abuse”.
He said in response to some of the boy’s threats, the girl messaged him to say, “Just breathe”, “It’s going to be alright” and “I’m here for you [the boy’s name], how can I help”.
Mr Edney said the boy now appeared to recognise the toll his comments had taken on the girl.
“I just heavily relied on [her] for everything,” the boy said during his evidence.
The barrister also argued the boy had been evasive and inconsistent in his evidence, noting the boy told a friend the oral sex with the girl had been consensual.
Mr Edney said all the allegations were disputed and urged jurors to acquit his client on each charge.
The girl pleaded not guilty to single counts of inciting suicide, sexual intercourse without consent and stalking, as well as two counts of assault.
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum has begun giving her directions to the jury and jurors are expected to begin deliberating on Thursday (18 September).
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
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