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Canadian Teen Commits Suicide over Alleged Rape, Bullying

HeadlineApr 11, 2013

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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