# Clare Girl Bullied To Death In The US



## irishbunny (Mar 30, 2010)

Very, very sad 
This girl lived near me and moved to the US just a few months ago, she was so pretty and extremely friendly.
At her new school in the US, she was bullied and tormented she took her own life

It is all over the news here.

http://www.clareherald.com/local-news/abroad/670-nine-charged-in-phoebe-prince-investigation.html

Six teenagers and three juvenile students have been charged in connection with the death of a County Clare schoolgirl in the USA earlier this year.

The district attorney in South Hadley, Massachusetts, tonight announced the results of a criminal investigation in to the death of Phoebe Prince. The 15-year old Fanore girl took her own life on January 14th last after allegedly enduring weeks of bullying on the social networking forum Facebook, via text message and in the corridors of South Hadley High School.

Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel said Phoebe Prince was relentlessly bullied for more than three months before her death and that staff at South Hadley High School knew about the problem. Staff will not be facing any criminal charges, but Scheibel called it "very troublesome."

Ms. Scheibel indicated that the six teenagers and three juvenile students are facing a range of criminal charges including statutory rape, criminal harassment, violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury, stalking and disturbing a school assembly.

In a statement issued tonight, management at South Hadley High School said: "We have attempted to meet with the District Attorney to obtain the specific evidence as it relates to South Hadley High School. Due to their unavailability, we will be unable to meet until the end of the week and possibly not until next week. We will then review this evidence, and particularly the new information which the District Attorneyâs Office has, but did not come to light within the investigation conducted by the school. Once we are able to obtain this information we will be able to make a more comprehensive statement and possibly take further action against the students still attending South Hadley High School. It is important to remember that this is the District Attorneyâs investigation and any further questions should be directed to that office."

Phoebe Prince was born in Bedford, England and moved to Fanore when she was two years old. She moved to South Hadley in 2009 because the family had relatives there."

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts House unanimously approved a bill that seeks to curtail bullying in schools and in cyberspace, mirroring similar legislation passed by the US Senate.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Mar 30, 2010)

i saw this , it is so very sad. The one good thing, not that there is anything good about it, is that everyone that bullied her is being prosecuted. She isnt the first one that was bullied and commited suicide  so sad.


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## irishbunny (Mar 30, 2010)

Does a lot of bullying go on in schools over there against ''foreigners''? A girl in my class from the Philippines was telling me how her friend moved to the US and when she walks home from school everyday, kids follow her and throw rocks at her, very sad  Not that I am stereotyping all schools over there as racist.


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## mistyjr (Mar 30, 2010)

Yes! Bulling happens alot in the USA! And it sucks too! I used to bad when I was in High School


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## irishbunny (Mar 30, 2010)

mistyjr wrote:


> Yes! Bulling happens alot in the USA! And it sucks too! I used to bad when I was in High School





Ya we did a study on it in school before. My God, nothing like this has ever gone on in my school, actually, in any school here ever. No bullying actually really goes on, and I go to an all girls school. Usually it is like a group of girls against another, and a stop is put to it immediately.

On the news it was talking about how it was common knowledge to all the students and teachers about the awful bullying, most of it took place in school. Yet nothing was done 

I hope something can be done to put a stop to this kind of bullying.


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## pamnock (Mar 30, 2010)

We started homeschooling my daughter after she was being mercilessly bullied in school. All she wanted to do was escape the torment and considered suicide. Girls would text her: "Aren't you dead yet?" "Why haven't you killed yourself yet?"

In my state of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia schools have been making the news due to racially motivated attacks against students.

In our local school, there is no racial diversity, so the bullying is not racially motivated.

While my daughter was deprived of being able to attend public school and feel secure, the loser bullies ended up later dropping out and are leading pathetic lives. Wouldn't it have made more sense to remove the bullies from the school?

I wrote a paper for my Human Growth and Development entitled "Bullied to Death" There's a link to a Youtube video that's incredibly sad http://nockrabbits.com/Paper_2_School_Bullying.pdf


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 30, 2010)

Unfortunately bullying seems to be everywhere. It's utterly crazy and just.....so awful.

There was a story here in the UK a little while ago, that a girl was led to leap from a window from the torment and physical abuse from other students. She died. 

Bullies like this just aren't normal....how can their minds work in a different way to ours?


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## Happi Bun (Mar 30, 2010)

Yes, bullying is common here in the US. My brother was bullied very badly in high school to the point physical violence was taken against him. He has red hair and freckles, like me, but also has a rather severe learning disability. A student purposely tripped him, causing my brother to break his ankle. When I went to the same high school a senior came up to me and said he used to make fun of my brother. I told him something along the lines of, "What gives you the right to make fun of him? Look at yourself!" I felt like punching him, I really did. What happened to Phoebe Prince is so incredibly tragic. I cannot stand bullies. You can bet if I see it happening to someone I speak up for them. Sadly, everyone at Phoebe's school seemed to have stayed silent through her abuse, even her friends.


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 30, 2010)

My twin sister was bullied for being the cleverest in our year throughout the GCSE period. Name-calling, tripping up, stabbing with pens and pencils etc. I certainly stuck up for her etc. and multiple meetings with teachers etc. took place, but nothing could/would be done.

Now she is probably the most beautiful, gorgeous girl anyone has ever seen, ended up with 5As at A level, Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry, and is now doing Dentistry at Birmingham. Her figure is to die for, she's hilarious, and is living with her boyfriend who loves her with all his heart.

Needless to say, the bullies can all stand jealously watching her, while they remain in their dead-end jobs (if they have jobs), with no friends and no hopes, realising they helped her to become the strong, amazing woman she is now.

Unfortunately this isn't the case for lots of people. Bullying can either break you, or make you stronger. It seems to break many people...and something has to be done to stop it. It's getting more and more serious now, and something HAS to be done.


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## irishbunny (Mar 30, 2010)

I think a lot of Phoebe's bullying was due to her being very pretty and easy to get along with. Kids got jealous. I'm really sorry for all of you who were bullied, or have family and friends that were. It sounds totally awful. 

Pam- I can't believe kids would text her that??? :O

In school, the UK and US were some of the countries with the worst cases of bullying, no idea why really, I guess it is a mix of things, smartness, looks, personalities, back grounds. 

Just send some of those kids to my school, with my teachers, they wouldn't know what hit them!


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 30, 2010)

Teachers should be given more authority. I obviously don't believe in physical punishment, but 30 years ago, when kids behaved in school, a lot of it was to avoid a smack on the bum with a ruler!!
Nowadays if it a teacher barely touches a kids shoulder they can get sued.

And it's letting kids get away with....well....murder literally....


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## Sabine (Mar 30, 2010)

I'd say bullying in Irish schools is as bad as anywhere else if you don't fit in with the mob. I was lucky that I had my children in a multidenominational school in the city. Had I opted to sent them to the local schools daily beatings would have been the rule. They endured enough abuse just sticking their head out the door.


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## pamnock (Mar 30, 2010)

Here's a photo of my daughter who was relentlessly teased because shewas so "ugly" and due to her "ethnicity" (kids called her Russian, Asian, Indian, etc - but she's actually just a run of the mill European (German/Polish).


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## pamnock (Mar 30, 2010)

Here's a photo taken a couple days ago of my "baby girl". I still harbor a lot of resentment over the bullies who made her life a living hell.


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 30, 2010)

Lol- UGLY???? Wow...it really sounds like some serious jealousy going on there....


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## Sabine (Mar 30, 2010)

My kids look rather average. Nothing that would give away their half German background. They were born and raised in Ireland. But the fact alone the didn't use the foul language and bad grammar some of the local kids use they were taunted for having a "German accent" another reason for a good beating


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 30, 2010)

I'm so sorry . It's just not fair.


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## Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears (Mar 30, 2010)

Pam your daughter is Beautiful.
My sister and I were bullied in Elementry school and it continued into HS for her. Were took most of the same classes for the first 2 years so I knew it was going on. I think for us we were bullied 'cause we didn't fit in. Our family didn't have money to buy us nice stuff, but it didn't bother us it bothered everyone else.


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## mistyjr (Mar 30, 2010)

Holy Cow! Pam she is sooooo Beeeeautiful!


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## irishbunny (Mar 30, 2010)

Sabine wrote:


> I'd say bullying in Irish schools is as bad as anywhere else if you don't fit in with the mob. I was lucky that I had my children in a multidenominational school in the city. Had I opted to sent them to the local schools daily beatings would have been the rule. They endured enough abuse just sticking their head out the door.



We get that down in the rougher areas here too, but it is more like ''kids beating other kids'' kind of thing. There isn't really a mob per say. Just different groups of kids attacking each other. I rarely see one kid being targeted, and if it starts, in our schools anyway it finished fairly rapid. 

Of course you get cases though, but in my experience never anything as finish as Phoebe or Pam's daughter.

Pam- She is so pretty! Wouldn't be suprised if that was part of it


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## Nancy McClelland (Mar 30, 2010)

school kid's can be real ass----s. It went on 40 years ago when I was in school--the only difference is with our "electronic age" it's easier to go after someone away from school. My son is 30 now and I threatened to sue the school, the district and the principal as one little ass---e went out of his way to pick on my son. Liked what Pam had to say about their recent history--the ass that was picking on my son died of a drug overdose in January--wonder what his mother thinks of her "good kid" now. It's a shame when the courts are our only recourse to protect our children and the teachers are powerless by district policy. Nancy quit teaching in California because of similar problems that she would bring up to the principal-she was told to never-mind it. After she quit and before we moved, I told his mother about the problems my wife had with the principal, as her son got fed up and ended getting suspended for fighting as he was tired of two "good boys" continually stealing from him.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Mar 30, 2010)

Pam i have to say when you posted that all i could think of was the pic i seen on your FB and how BEAUTIFUL your daughter is, they can eat thier hearts out. It is really sad and Larry is right in the age with all this technology the bullying has become cyber bullying. Bullies now get you on texts, cell phone calls, facebook, myspace and other internet outlets. I was bullied when i was in grade school i was just a ordinary , plain girl, I can say as an adult now i can deal with it, it wasnt so horrible that i felt like taking my life and i got a little satisfaction finding out that the b oy who bullied me is in jail. 

I moved from the city where i live out to the country in hopes to get away from it but in reality it goes on everywhere, in my kids school they learn about bullying and cyber bullies, and i hope that it continues and helps.


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## Jessyka (Mar 31, 2010)

I went to an inner city school and ended up dropping out due to violence. Every other week we were on the news cause some idiot would bring a gun to school or we'd have a riot. A few times we've had people die on school grounds due to gang shootings. People would light garbage cans on fire and all kinds of other crazy things. One girl was stabbed through her cheek with a pencil because she used to the wrong bathroom. I don't miss it. I lived in the Hispanic ghetto for a little while and I look Hispanic, so the Hispanic gang members never messed with me, sometimes they even looked out for me. The rest of the gangs would mess with me even more though, because of that. I guess they figured that since I was neutral with them, that I had to be an enemy or something. I've never understood gang logic. I'm more than happy to be away from all of that though, but I'm sad that I had to leave school due to stupid kids.


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 31, 2010)

*Jessyka wrote: *


> I went to an inner city school and ended up dropping out due to violence. Every other week we were on the news cause some idiot would bring a gun to school or we'd have a riot. A few times we've had people die on school grounds due to gang shootings. People would light garbage cans on fire and all kinds of other crazy things. One girl was stabbed through her cheek with a pencil because she used to the wrong bathroom. I don't miss it. I lived in the Hispanic ghetto for a little while and I look Hispanic, so the Hispanic gang members never messed with me, sometimes they even looked out for me. The rest of the gangs would mess with me even more though, because of that. I'm more than happy to be away from all of that though, but I'm sad that I had to leave school due to stupid kids.


Oh my God- that sounds absolutely terrifying!


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## pbheather (Apr 3, 2010)

Before middle school, I lived in Florida. I went to a higher end prep school (military, actually) where a lot of the students had high profile parents (kings, ambassadors, etc). There were so many ethnicities, there was no bullying about that. But those of us who parents worked for a living, and who were there only because it was the safest school in the area were made fun of. I started at 5th grade, and the first day, the kids asked me how much my parents made. I was bullied by both boys and girls alike. I was there or two years, and just kept quiet, but that didn't keep them from getting at me. We had all of our classes together, so we were around eachother most of the day. I lived a long ways away from those kids, so they couldn't get to me at home. There weren't any school buses, you either stayed at the school, or your parents picked you up after school.

I moved to Illinois the summer before 7th grade. Some of the boys teased me, but nothing serious. I had learned before to keep quiet, and I kept that way through high school. No one was mean, and it was a nice high school experience. But my high school was not bad, there wasn't a lot of bullying, and I actually keep in contact with a lot of my class mates on facebook.

It's a horrible world where kids will harrass other kids for stupid things, to the point that the kid being harrassed would even think of killing themselves. It's horrible, and sometimes worse than what adults do to eachother.


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## pamnock (Apr 3, 2010)

Here's another case pending in my state - very sad when the teachers encourage the bullying . . .

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20100403_Suit__Cherrly_Hill_teacher_belittled_student_with_sex_nickname.html


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## Boz (Apr 5, 2010)

Omg that is horrible!
People like that really really upset me!!
I can not STAND people who bully others and a lot of my friends cant either. I'll stand up for people who are being bullied, and I'm not one to even stand up for myself half the time!


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## Myia09 (Apr 5, 2010)

I wasn't going to post, because my opinion is generally unpopular. I believe kids are cruel..I was teased very badly myself (Locker vadalized, threating messages, things thrown at me, house vandalized)
I also the "lesbian" because I was gay friendly, and had horrible consequences for that.
Although I was doing boxing at the time, and nobody dared messed with me in front of my face after I gave a black eye to the quarerback of my junior high. 
But I think there were some mental issues on her part in the first place if she commited suicide..
And some darn parental responsiblity too! Where were they?!
And school responsiblity.
But I do think they need to start regulating these things and start stepping in. 

And Pam, your daughter is beautiful!


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## irishbunny (Apr 5, 2010)

When you read up more the things that were done to her would definitely drive me crazy, plus, she was most likely missing home. I mean having to start in a totally new country is hard enough, without being beat up, called names and sexually assaulted (2 of the guys are up for rape).

I agree though, I have no idea what was with her parents. I guess they probably didn't know the half of what was going on.


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## Sabine (Apr 5, 2010)

It's scary to think all these things could happen to your child without you as a parent even knowing.
I also expect that the not so obvious victims of bullying find it harder to find people to stand up for them. The nerd, the fat boy, the one with the jam jar spectacles, the ginger etc... people expect them to be teased- but these days it often seems to be either rather average or even very pretty and smart kids that fall victim to bullies.


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## Myia09 (Apr 5, 2010)

*irishbunny wrote: *


> When you read up more the things that were done to her would definitely drive me crazy, plus, she was most likely missing home. I mean having to start in a totally new country is hard enough, without being beat up, called names and sexually assaulted (2 of the guys are up for rape).
> 
> I agree though, I have no idea what was with her parents. I guess they probably didn't know the half of what was going on.




Statutory rape. Meaning she consented. 

But what doesn't make sense becaue one guy is only 17..maybe in Ireland it is different?


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## irishbunny (Apr 5, 2010)

Ahh I see sorry I read wrong
Well on all the American sites it says that as well, she was 15.


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## Myia09 (Apr 5, 2010)

Hmm. Well that is confusing. Here in the US, 15 is legal consent to have sex with someone that is under 18. Maybe it occured when she was 14? 

I have no doubt these people were awful, but it also raises the question why did she sleep with 3 of the men with consent?


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## pamnock (Apr 5, 2010)

*Myia09 wrote: *


> But what doesn't make sense becaue one guy is only 17..maybe in Ireland it is different?


It happened in Massachusetts.


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## Happi Bun (Apr 5, 2010)

I thought it was only two men? One is 17 and one is 18 according to an article I just read. She may have given consent, but who knows on what grounds. Due to her being a minor, it's Statutory rape because the law see's her too young to make sound judgment calls.


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## slp98 (Apr 5, 2010)

i hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im in middle school now and there is this one rummor goning thru the school thati kissed an 8th grader when im in 6th grade!:sad::sad::sad::sad::sad::sad::bigtears::bigtears::bigtears::bigtears::bigtears::bigtears:


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## JadeIcing (Apr 5, 2010)

I am from MA and the kids in South Hadley.... It can be brutal.


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## Jessyka (Apr 5, 2010)

This whole story seems really... strange. onder:


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## pamnock (Apr 5, 2010)

From what I understand of the news reports, the girl had consensual sex. The boys bragged about it at school, sending her tormentors into a gossip frenzy.


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## mistyjr (Apr 5, 2010)

In Michigan... A 16 yr old can sleep with any age man even an older guy like example 50. And leaves the house. And the parents cant do a thing... But when the girl gets pregnant its the parents responsibility to take care the daughter.. I think its bull crap my self


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## SunnyCait (Apr 6, 2010)

People would be surprised at what an early age bullying begins. I teach preschool and there are one or two kids I am sure would be better off in their own section of the world where they can be cruel to each other and no one else. It's amazing the things I hear and see amongst 4-5 year olds... You wouldn't think kids that age would have anything to bully over! I sometimes have a girl with Downs on Fridays. It's harder for the kids to understand because of their age, and I get that, but they can be downright little bastards about it. One boy (my main bully) was taunting her about her eyes, and how they were slanted. Well I'd just about had it! I snapped, and said really harshly and loud enough for the other kids to hear "What are you making fun of her for, what about you and your sticky-out dumbo ears? No one talks to you about that now do they?" And another kid laughed at that, so I said "And what are you laughing at ginger?" (Of course I followed with a "Now how does it feel to be made fun of for how you look?" speech and an apology, but I absolutely do not regret it.) I don't know what it is that makes them think that that is okay, but I personally try to foster an honest and safe environment. I don't allow making fun of for anything whatsoever. It's ridiculous! 

One of my younger sisters is half black, and when we lived here in grade school she was taunted mercilessly because she was a different color. This area is all white. And I do mean ALL. They're ignorant and stupid because that is how they are raised. I sometimes hear comments about skin color in my class, and I immediatley squash any racial crap. I absolutely do not tolerate it, I refuse to be the person who allows kids to think and speak that way. I don't care if that's how their daddies speak they will not talk like that around me. Same goes for anything regarding sexual orientation (though thankfully they are all rather clueless about that). 

My son is made fun of because he has two moms. That's two more moms that love him than most of his classmates have, by the way. I see foster kids in and out of my daycare because their mothers hurt them or neglect them, and my son is made fun of because he has two parents who love and care for him. Children just have very little logic. Although I am sure he will have to deal with comments and bullying for that for as long as he is in school. Sad. I let him know that he is the normal one, and that the kids who make fun of him have parents who condone that sort of thinking and they are wrong, simply put. I also tell him not to judge them because that's not his worry. He needs to worry about himself and how he acts and speaks. Not anyone else.


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## pamnock (Apr 6, 2010)

Latest updates on the case as well as an interview with the father of a girl who endured years of torment by the same bullies in this "bullicide" case . . .

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/teens-to-be-arraigned-in-bullying-case-19004488


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## Luluznewz (Apr 6, 2010)

I think this one is on the parents and teachers. Honestly those girls are horrid little beasts. Its kind of pathetic actually, they think that their opinions actually mean something. Really they are just insecure and mean. 

This would have never happened at my school. For a number of reasons actually. The biggest one was if the school got wind of this the girls would have had NO CLUE what hit them. They would have probably been expelled almost immediately. 

The other one being other kids would have never let it fly. Girls were mean sometimes, but if it got taken to far the rest of the school really shut it down. 

That being said: I think this girl had other stuff going on with her. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already depressed and this just sent her over the edge. I think most teenagers would have reached out more to get help.


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## pamnock (Apr 6, 2010)

At our local public school, anyone who tried to stickup for a victim also became a target of the bullies, leaving the victim isolated and helpless.

This was an excellent book that I read a couple of years ago:

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls


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## irishbunny (Apr 6, 2010)

Luluznewz wrote:


> That being said: I think this girl had other stuff going on with her. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already depressed and this just sent her over the edge. I think most teenagers would have reached out more to get help.



I know if I was her, and my parents decided to move to the US, I would be absolutely devastated. Imagine leaving all your friends and everything you know behind you, especially as a teenager, makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Where she was living (I'm from the same place as her) is absolutely gorgeous, it's by the sea, very quiet. I'd say she didn't know what hit her when she moved poor thing 

So being stalked, beat up and just generally having her life made a living hell was definitely the icing on the cake


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## irishbunny (Apr 6, 2010)

People's reaction in Fanore

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/re...22&format=&page=1&listingType=Loc#articleFull

Pictures of Phoebes home place, fanore (it is gorgeous, I love that area)

http://daytoursofireland.com/images/fanore16.gif
http://files.myopera.com/sprogger/albums/759719/Fanore.jpg
http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/58156/_mg_5191-edit.jpg


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