A FAMILY has paid tribute to their 12-year-old daughter, who took her own life after being bullied on Snapchat.
Amelia Bath was tragically found dead in her bedroom by her mum, Marie, on March 6.
After police arrived at the scene, they found messages on the 12-year-old’s phone that suggested she was being bullied on the social media platform Snapchat.
Amelia’s uncle, Kris Marsh, said: “It was an absolute massive shock to everybody. It was totally out of the blue.
“I don’t think you ever recover from something like this.
“Marie, her mum, had gotten up that morning as usual, gone to wake her up for school and then found Amelia in her bedroom.
“Her world had just been completely turned upside down.
“Hours before they were all around their grandparents house having a meal, laughing and joking around.
“You just don’t ever expect that your world can change so drastically in a few hours.
“It was just a completely normal evening, you wouldn’t have known there was anything on her mind.
“Nothing seemed off at all, and then obviously what happened was the following morning.”
Amelia, from Fontwell, West Sussex, lived with her parents Marie and Steve Bath and her sister Olivia.
The family said that the night before the tragedy, Amelia was laughing at her grandparents over fish and chips – showing no sign of anything wrong.
But the next morning, Marie entered her daughter’s room to wake her up for school and found her dead.
A spokesman for Sussex Police told the Argus: “Emergency services were called to an address in Yapton Lane, Walberton, just before 7am on Friday, March 6.
“Sadly a 12-year-old girl was found deceased. Her next of kin are aware and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
“We are working alongside schools and partner agencies to support the girl’s family and others who have been impacted.
After taking Amelia’s phone and iPad, they found messages on Snapchat that suggested she was being bullied online.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123
Kris added: “It is an ongoing investigation, but there were messages on Snapchat.
“There were absolutely no signs. Everything on the face of it was totally normal. That’s why it is so dangerous with these apps.
“These days kids seem so quick to be horrible to one another. They might think that it is just a text message or a voice message but it has lasting impact on people’s lives.
“If anything our message from this whole tragic incident would be that there is always somebody you can talk to.
“Let your feelings be known because no 12-year-old should think that resorting to suicide is the only way out.
“Amelia was just your normal happy go lucky, very popular little girl. She was loved by everyone.”
Amelia’s aunty, Lisa, started a Go Fund Me to pay for the young girl’s funeral costs, donations to Chestnut Tree House, a children’s hospice care charity, and for funds towards a memorial garden.
The family is also trying to raise awareness of cyberbullying and supporting young people to find support through their parents when they are struggling.
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
