Semina Halliwell’s mother recalls daughter ‘breaking down’ on BBC doc

The mother of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life after being ‘groomed and raped’ has recalled how her daughter ‘broke down and cut herself all over’ before revealing she had been sexually assaulted. 

Semina Halliwell, from Southport, died on June 12 of this year, after spending four nights in hospital. 

Her mother, Rachel Halliwell, claimed her daughter was left ‘traumatised’ by a torrent of online and physical abuse following the alleged sexual offence by a boy of a similar age on February 25.  

Appearing on BBC Three documentary, Zara McDermott: Uncovering Rape Culture, Rachel claimed that Semina had self-harmed ‘all over her body’ before telling her mother she had been sexually assaulted. 

She claimed that Semina was coerced into sending explicit photographs online and that her alleged rapist was putting so much pressure on her she eventually ‘gave in’ and met him. 

 

Appearing on BBC Three documentary, Zara McDermott: Uncovering Rape Culture, Semina Halliwell’s mother (pictured) recalled her daughter ‘breaking down’ telling her she was ‘pressured into sending naked pictures’ to her alleged rapist

Semina Halliwell, from Southport, died on June 12 of this year, after spending four nights in hospital  after allegedly being raped by a boy of a similar age

Semina Halliwell, from Southport, died on June 12 of this year, after spending four nights in hospital  after allegedly being raped by a boy of a similar age 

‘Obviously there was a lot going on we didn’t know’, Rachel said. ‘But something had happened making her very, very unhappy. 

‘It was the night before Mothers Day and she came into the bedroom and she cut herself all over her body. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. She just broke down and said to me “mum I’ve been raped” and she sat down and told me everything. 

‘When it started, when the messaging started online, Semina told me she felt very much under pressure to send naked pictures and said “He pecked my head so much that I just gave in in the end and I met him”. That’s a lot for a little girl that.’ 

A police investigation is ongoing and no cause of death has been confirmed. The alleged rapist has denied the crime and no DNA evidence was found. 

Trinity, a friend of the 12-year-old, said that Semina ‘thought that no one believed her’ and that it was ‘all her fault’ after reporting the alleged crime to police. 

Trinity, a friend of the 12-year-old, said that Semina 'thought that no one believed her' and that it was 'all her fault' after reporting the alleged crime to police

Trinity, a friend of the 12-year-old, said that Semina ‘thought that no one believed her’ and that it was ‘all her fault’ after reporting the alleged crime to police

‘She thought that no one believed her’, she said. ‘We knew and her family knew she wasn’t lying about it.  I think she just felt she didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t do anything about it, [she thought] that it was all her fault.’ 

Rachel says that Semina was ‘very funny, very bubbly and very chatty’ before the alleged rape and barrage of abuse from her peers. 

‘Then things changed’, she said. ‘She was constantly on her phone, social media became massive in her life. If you said to her “What are you doing on the phone” she’d say “I’m talking to my friends, I didn’t understand it.” 

Semina’s friend Trinity said: ‘There wasn’t a moment she wasn’t on her phone. When you’re young, I think social media is the first thing you have ownership of it’s the first adult thing you can do as a young person. 

Rachel says that Semina (pictured) was 'very funny, very bubbly and very chatty' before the alleged rape and barrage of abuse from her peers

Rachel says that Semina (pictured) was ‘very funny, very bubbly and very chatty’ before the alleged rape and barrage of abuse from her peers

‘Social media can be a good thing but there’s also another side to it that’s quite a dark side. 

‘You’ll go on Snapchat, you’ll post a picture of yourself out with your friends and you’ll get boys popping up saying “Will you send a picture” and want sex and everything. 

‘You say no but they just keep pressuring you, they basically call you frigid and boring, say they don’t want to speak to you.

Semina was physically attacked twice in parks near her home in Southport, Merseyside, a month after the alleged event in April. 

Rachel claimed that Semina had self-harmed 'all over her body' before telling her mother she had been sexually assaulted in the emotional interview

Rachel said that 'no parent' should ever have to go through the horrendous pain of losing a child during the heartbreaking interview

Rachel (pictured) claimed that Semina had self-harmed ‘all over her body’ before telling her mother she had been sexually assaulted in the emotional interview 

Shocking footage shared by Rachel at the time showed her daughter being punched, kicked and dragged along the floor by a group of girls.

Semina took her own life in September, and Rachel said that ‘no parent’ should ever have to go through the horrendous pain of losing a child. 

‘Semina tried to take her own life. She was in hospital for quite a few days until they put her in a coma on the Thursday’, she recalled. ‘Then Saturday morning I held her hand and when I was with her, she just left, there was nothing we could do. 

‘Nobody thinks they could lose a child, that happens to someone else, that’s on the news, that’ll never be me, and here I am. No parent should have to go through that.’ 

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details. 

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