Santa Sabina College called out over ‘flat out lie’ after memorial for Charlotte O’Brien removed

A school’s explanation for why they removed a memorial dedicated to a 12-year-old girl who took her own life has been exposed as a ‘flat out lie’.

Year 7 student Charlotte O’Brien took her own life in September after experiencing relentless bullying while attending the Catholic school, Santa Sabina, in the inner-west Sydney suburb Strathfield.

Following the 12-year-old’s tragic death, Charlotte’s heartbroken family set up a memorial on a tree near the school with a small plaque, a picture and flowers.

But the shrine was removed by the school only a few days later, leaving her bereaved family devastated. 

‘Words cannot express how devastated we were,’ Charlotte’s aunt Melinda Rodgers said.

Paulina Skerman, principal at Santa Sabina, originally said the memorial had been removed in the interests of students.

‘On the advice of mental health experts including Headspace, who are working with the College, we removed the memorial because of the concerns that were raised about the impact this could have on other young people,’ Ms Kerman said.

But 2GB radio host Ben Fordham contacted Headspace, who challenged the principal’s version of events.

Following the 12-year-old’s tragic death, Charlotte’s heartbroken family set up a memorial on a tree near the school with a small plaque, a picture and flowers (pictured: Charlotte’s grandfather, Bill, pictured at the memorial site)

But the shrine was mysteriously removed only a few days later, leaving her bereaved family devastated (pictured)

‘Headspace did not recommend Santa Sabina or Paulina Skerman remove the memorial dedicated to Charlotte. To say that they did is a straight-out lie,’ Fordham told his listeners on Friday morning.

He added: ‘It never ever happened. Headspace did not advise Paulina Skerman or anyone at Santa Sabina to take it down.’  

Ms Skerman told Fordham she had been referring to ‘previous written advice shared with the school about an appropriate memorial for Charlotte’.

Daily Mail Australia approached Santa Sabina for comment.

The principal Ms Skerman previously explained the school was working ‘with Charlotte’s family to find a permanent and loving way to remember Charlotte’ and promised the 12-year-old would ‘not be forgotten’.

Despite this, Charlotte’s father Mat said he was ‘running out of words’ to describe his feelings about the situation.

‘From the school’s perspective, If I was given advice to remove those things, I wouldn’t have touched them,’ he told 9News.

Charlotte’s family have been critical of  Santa Sabrina College following her death, and believe that the school could have done more to stop the bullying Charlotte experienced before she took her own life, despite the issue being raised multiple times. 

Paulina Skerman (pictured), principal at Santa Sabina, originally said the memorial had been removed in the interests of students on advice given by mental health app Headspace

But Ben Fordham branded this a ‘straight up lie’ after Headspace denied ever giving that advice

‘She wrote a goodbye note specifically mentioning the bullying she received at the school,’ Charlotte’s mother said.

‘She said life was too difficult for her to continue.

‘When the most recent case of bullying was raised, the school simply said it was investigated and the girls denied it. That’s it. Case closed. Move on.

‘Well my beautiful daughter’s life won’t move on and I’ll never get to say goodbye.

‘These issues cannot be swept under the carpet. I will not let my daughter’s memory be swept under the carpet either.

‘How many more children need to lose their lives before they get it? How many parents need to feel the pain of never being able to pick up their child from school again before they get it?

‘We’re broken forever.’

Mat said it had taken weeks to organise a meeting with Ms Skerman following’ Charlotte’s death.

‘That glimmer of hope that anything positive to come from that meeting was squashed the moment we arrived,’ he said. 

‘We had to navigate ourselves across the school grounds, surrounded by other girls in their school uniform, knowing that we will never see our daughter again. That was incredibly hard for us,’ he said.

A memorial for Charlotte (pictured) outside the school was removed on Monday, further fuelling her parents’ grief

‘We arrived there and met with the principal. When I shared the feedback, she wasn’t interested in receiving that. The feedback was interrupted. It was discounted. It was disagreed with.

‘I sat across the room from a lady (the principal) that showed myself and the rest of the family no emotion or empathy at all.’

When asked if the principal made any sort of apology for the death of their daughter, Mr O’Brien said ‘there was no accountability at all’.

‘The questions we wanted answered were simply not answered at all. We were left to show ourselves out of the school ground,’ he said.

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