Suicide of Dawn-Marie Wesley

Dawn-Marie Wesley, from Mission, British Columbia, Canada, was a student who committed suicide on 10 November 2000, after experiencing a cycle of bullying by psychological abuse and verbal threats from three bullies.

She left behind a note to her family that referred to the bullying to which she had been subjected: "If I try to get help, it will get worse. They are always looking for a new person to beat up and they are the toughest girls. If I ratted, they would get suspended and there would be no stopping them. I love you all so much." She committed suicide by hanging.

Incident
At the age of 14, Dawn-Marie Wesley committed suicide after experiencing a cycle of psychological abuse and verbal threats ("bullying") from three classmates. In her suicide note, Dawn-Marie named three girls, initiating a Canadian police investigation and court case where the three defendants were made to stand trial for their actions.

Legal proceedings
One of the defendants was acquitted; the other two were convicted of uttering threats. Their identities are protected because they were prosecuted under Canada's Young Offenders Act. B.C. Provincial Court Judge Jill Rounthwaite's ruling stated that it was clear that one of the accused had bullied Wesley repeatedly thus giving the victim reason to fear for her life. Rounthwaite also stated that bystanders added "to the power of the bully" by letting the harassment continue without intervention.