Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
A group chat run by schoolboys was allegedly used to make fun of a 14-year-old fellow pupil who is believed to have killed herself, an inquest has heard.
Mia Janin, a year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, was found dead at her family home in Harrow on 12 March 2021.
Her father, Mariano Janin, has said he believes she was cyber-bullied by other pupils at JFS.
Statements given by friends of Mia to the Metropolitan Police following her death were read out to the inquest at Barnet Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
In the statements, her friends said that Mia was bullied by other pupils at the school and that their friendship group was nicknamed the “suicide squad” in the months leading up to her death.
Mia Janin, a year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12 2021
(Supplied )
They said that one of Mia’s TikToks was shared to a Snapchat group chat run by male pupils at JFS, where they made fun of her.
One child said the boys used the group chat to share nude photos of girls.
The child added: “They took screenshots of girls’ faces on social media and made fun of them.
“They shared a video of Mia’s TikTok and made fun of her.”
They said the boys also photoshopped girls’ faces onto the bodies of pornography performers.
“They used girls faces on porn stars’ bodies to upset us,” they said.
The child said that they had a conversation with Mia the day before she died.
Mia’s believes she was cyber-bullied by other pupils at her school
(Supplied)
They said that Mia asked: “If you died would people care about you the next day?”
“We laughed it off, that was all she said, it was just in normal conversation,” the child said.
Another child said that the TikTok video had been posted by Mia the night before she returned to school after the end of Covid restrictions.
The inquest heard that police believe that the TikTok was posted on March 10, as she returned to school on March 11.
The child said that Mia had received lots of negative comments on the TikTok video from other pupils at JFS.
“Mia said she was fine, but I don’t think that she was fine,” she said.
Statements given by friends of Mia to the Metropolitan Police following her death were read out to the inquest at Barnet Coroner’s Court on Tuesday
(Supplied)
In the statements at the inquest, her friends said that Mia was bullied by other pupils at the school
(Supplied)
Mr Janin told the inquest that his daughter asked if she could move school after coming home on 11 March.
The inquest heard that his wife Marisa, who has since died, told Mia she could be homeschooled for the rest of the school year, and that they would look into moving her to a new school after.
Mia then went to bed. Hours later, she was dead.
Area coroner Tony Murphy said that there was no evidence that any images or videos involving Mia had been shared in the group chat, except for the TikTok.
The inquest heard that Rabbi Cohen, former deputy headteacher at JFS, told the boys to close down the group after Mia’s death.
JFS’s position is that the school was not aware of the existence of the group chat before Mia’s death.
Call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit its website if you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article.
✕
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log in
Popular videos
{{/link}}