Girl writes powerful letter telling classmates she was raped before taking her own life
'My name is Cassidy Trevan, and I was raped'
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Your support makes all the difference.A mother whose daughter killed herself after allegedly being raped has released a letter written by her child before she died.
Cassidy Trevan, 15, said she was bullied at school and gang-raped by her tormentors two years previously.
She struggled to live with the mental anguish brought on by her experience and took her own life in December 2015.
Now, details of her final hours – found on her computer - have been published by 9News.
Cassidy said the letter’s purpose was to “warn” other students at an unidentified Melbourne school of the risk posed by the bullies who allegedly arranged for her to be raped, who she said still attended the institution.
Cassidy also said the staff did nothing to help her.
“It’s now my duty to warn you all and to make you aware of what happened,” she wrote.
Cassidy’s letter also detailed how she was harassed, even after she moved house and changed schools.
She said: “It’s surprising just how many students at [omitted] have heard stories of me and weirdly enough still get told stories of me to this day.
“I still continue to get students I’ve never met contacting me Facebook calling me a slut. I’ve moved schools, I’ve moved house and still I’m being contacted and bullied.”
She wrote another warning for students at the former school, then added: “My name is Cassidy Trevan, and I was raped.”
The letter appeared to be unfinished but ended: “If anyone every tries this on you trust me it’s worth fighting! Fight! If you don’t you’ll regret it for the rest of your life like I do. You can do it.
“Be careful. Be warned. Be safe.”
No charges were ever brought for the alleged assault, despite extensive police involvement, partially because Cassidy did not make a formal statement to the officials.
Victoria’s Department of Education and Training said: “Schools have a range of ways to help students who may be experiencing bullying or mental health issues.”
The letter in full:
I was a student at [omitted] and I was raped by some of the students who still attend that school. I know this already probably sounds like attention-seeking but it’s honestly far from it. I have many reasons for doing this which I’ll also explain.
My aim is to warn other people (students mostly but also parents) about what happened because I’m worried if they could do it to me they could do it to other kids like me, or at least try to. You actually have the power to stop this from happening. Remember the people who did this to me were school students at [omitted], it’s hard to believe, I know. But it’s true.
I’m not doing this for revenge to those students that raped me, set up the rape, bullied me about the rape, teased me about the rape or anything like that. I’m also not doing this for attention seeking like I mentioned earlier, I want to make that clear.
I’m doing this because over 1500 students years 7-12 are currently enrolled at the school and they need to be warned. I feel because of what happened to me, and because the staff at the school did nothing to help me (which I’ll talk a bit more about later). It’s now my duty to warn you all and to make you aware of what happened. (Not just what you may have heard around school but what actually happened.)
But I’m also doing this for myself. I want to finally after 1 and ½ years be left alone. It’s surprising just how many students at [omitted] have heard stories of me and weirdly enough still get told stories of me to this day. I still continue to get students I’ve never met contacting me Facebook calling me a slut. I’ve moved schools, I’ve moved house and still I’m being contacted and bullied. I can’t stop people from spreading rumours, but at least I could try and spread what really happened seeing as it’s still being talked about anyway. But as I said this honestly is more so for students who are unaware of this and are in danger of those students.
My name is Cassidy Trevan, and I was raped.
If anyone every tries this on you trust me it’s worth fighting! Fight! If you don’t you’ll regret it for the rest of your life like I do. You can do it.
Be careful. Be warned. Be safe.
Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.
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