HALIFAX – Six months ago, Amanda Todd became the Canadian poster-child for cyberbullying. This week, her mother was confronted by a haunting déjà vu.
Before the 15-year-old took her own life, she posted a video on YouTube detailing the harassment she endured after nude pictures of her came back to haunt.
The video, in which she explains how she was stalked and bullied for more two years, has been viewed more than 20 million times.
Her mother, Carol Todd, spoke out about her daughter’s death in hopes she wouldn’t have to see another parent go through the same ordeal.
But, now she’s troubled to see a Nova Scotia mom coming to terms with a situation that’s far too similar – the case of Rehtaeh Parsons.
Leah Parsons said Tuesday her 17-year-old daughter Rehtaeh hung herself last week. Parsons alleges the girl was photographed while being raped by four boys.
“It was so hauntingly similar, even to the point where the girl said to her mother that even though she had thoughts of killing herself … Amanda said the same thing to me.”
If Parsons needs help, Todd said, she’s there for her.
Parsons told Halifax radio station News 95.7 the boys allegedly involved in her daughter’s rape, which took place in Nov. 2011, told others the girl had sex with all four of them. One of them took a photo and shared it with other teens.
“So everybody turned against Rehtaeh and she was a ‘slut’ and she was the one that they targeted,” Parsons said in the interview.
She then told Global News her daughter had only vague memories of the incident: She recalls being led into a room, boys taking turns on top of her and throwing up.
Police in Halifax investigated the rape allegations about 18 months ago, but found no grounds to charge the boys with sexual assault even though there were photos.
For Todd, the cyberbullying continued well after her daughter’s death – in taunts online in which she too was the subject of derogatory comments.
She said she’s focusing on an awareness campaign and has become an advocate for stronger anti-bullying laws across the country.
“We are losing too many people to this.”
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