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April 11, 2013

Canadian Teen Commits Suicide over Alleged Rape, Bullying 
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A Canadian teenager and alleged rape victim has died following an
attempted suicide. Seventeen-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was taken off life
support on Sunday days after she tried to hang herself. Family members
say she was devastated after being raped by four teenage boys in
November 2011 and publicly bullied after a photograph of the incident
was shared at her school. The alleged rapists were never charged after
investigators cited insufficient evidence. Rehtaeh's mother, Leah
Parsons, wrote: "Rehtaeh is gone today because of the four boys that
thought that raping a 15-year-old girl was okay, and to distribute a
photo to ruin her spirit and reputation would be fun." Similar to its
actions in the Steubenville rape case, the hacker group Anonymous has
launched a campaign calling for Nova Scotia Justice Minister Ross Landry
to take legal action. In a statement, Anonymous said it would reveal the
identities of two of the alleged rapists if justice is not pursued.

 

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