Heartbroken parents of 12-year-old girl Charlotte O’Brien, who was ‘bullied to death’, break down as they remember the horrific text messages that sealed her fate – and the message they want every Australian to hear

The distraught parents of 12-year-old schoolgirl Charlotte O’Brien, who killed herself just over two months ago, have spoken to her about their final hours.

Mat Howard and his wife Kelly are carrying out their daughter’s dying wish: for her story to be told and for Australians to understand that social media can be deadly.

Mr. Howard broke off his conversation 60 minutes on Sunday evening around September 9, the last night of Charlotte’s life, when she seemed to be the happiest she had been in weeks.

“We know she was constantly struggling and the last two weeks have been the best two weeks I can remember with her,” he said.

“We thought we were really turning a corner. She came home from school that day and had had a great day.

“Kelly had prepared her favorite dinner that night. She ran into the house to eat. That night she skipped to bed, literally skipped.’

The Howards, who were holding a teddy bear that now contains their daughter’s ashes, both burst into tears.

“We never saw her again,” Mr. Howard said.

Mat and Kelly Howard, the distraught parents of 12-year-old schoolgirl Charlotte O’Brien, who committed suicide just over two months ago, have spoken of her final hours

On the last night of Charlotte’s life, when she seemed the happiest she had been in weeks. Charlotte is in the photo

Charlotte’s last act before taking her own life that evening was to leave handwritten notes for her parents.

One of them asked her mother to stay alive for Charlotte’s 18-month-old brother Will.

Another begged her mother and father to tell her story to raise awareness of what can happen to children online.

Bullying Charlotte, a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield in Sydney’s inner west, who suffered at school, continued in cruel messages sent to her on social media on the night she died.

Her parents came across a friend of Charlotte’s who she had met online.

“She had shared with us some of the things that Charlotte had talked to her about that night after she had gone to bed,” Mr Howard said.

“(Charlotte) had just called her all upset and shared the messages she had read.”

Mr Howard said the parents could not say exactly what they were told.

“But what I want to tell you is what we were told: They are the worst words anyone should read, let alone a 12-year-old girl,” he said.

The couple said it was messages to Charlotte on the social media platform Snapchat that sent her over the edge.

“She only had it on for a little over a week, and that week was enough to have a significant impact on her and lead to where we are today,” her father said.

Kelly found her daughter’s body the next morning, and one of the first things she saw was Charlotte’s phone on the bedroom floor.

“I kept saying to the police that morning, ‘Where did she get the knowledge and the resources?’” Ms. Howard said through tears.

“I couldn’t wrap my head around it and (the police officer) just said to me, ‘This is the age of information.’

She added: “When we give our children these phones, we are giving them guns. We give them the world at their fingertips.’

Mrs Howard described Charlotte as ‘the sweetest, funniest, most helpful and wonderful girl in the world.’

“She was the best big sister, the best daughter,” she said.

“She just loved to love and be loved.”

The heartbroken parents recently traveled to Canberra to speak to the Prime Minister about what happened to their beloved daughter and pressure him to introduce legislation to restrict access to social media to those aged 16 and over.

Mat and Kelly say their daughter Charlotte (pictured) ‘just wanted to love and be loved’

But before they met him, Anthony Albanese announced the Australian government would introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban social media for all children under the age of 16, with no exceptions, even if they have parental consent.

“Social media is harming our children and I am making time for that,” he said Albanian said, adding that he had spoken to “thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles” about the issue.

‘They worry, just like me, about the safety of our children online. I want Australian families to know that the Government has your back. I want parents to be able to say, ‘Sorry buddy, that’s against the law.’

However, there are many opponents who say that the legislation, if passed, will not work, and that children will find ways around it that could put them in more danger.

One such opponent is Professor Amanda Third of Western Sydney University, one of 140 Australian and international academics with expertise in technology and child welfare who have signed an open letter to the federal government on the issue.

“One thing I need to make clear is that those of us who are against the ban are not against the ban because we believe social media companies should be allowed to stand up,” Prof. Derde said.

“We oppose the ban because we believe this is a blunt instrument, and what we need are much finer-grained regulatory tools that will actually hold social media companies to account for their responsibilities to children and their parents.”

Mrs O’Brien said Charlotte (pictured) was ‘the sweetest, funniest, most helpful and wonderful girl in the world. She was the best big sister, the best daughter

She believes that social media giants such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X should be forced to better regulate their content.

A ban on an age limit could only make matters worse, she fears.

“I don’t think we have effective ways to keep kids out of those spaces, and kids won’t be able to ask for help if they do end up in those spaces.”

But Mat and Kelly fight on in Charlotte’s memory.

‘It is the depth of deep sorrow. It’s the first thing you think about in the morning and it never leaves your mind all day long,” Mat said.

“And then the nightmares start at night.”

Kelly said: “I don’t want her to ever be forgotten. She did not live long enough to earn her own inheritance. Maybe this could be it.’

According to the Howards, a ban on social media for under-16s only needs to save one life for it to all be worth it.

“If we can prevent it from happening again to someone else, then maybe this is Charlotte’s wish,” Mat said.

If you or someone you know needs support, help is available 24/7.

Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.