Ciara Pugsley: 1997 - Sept. 19, 2012


Fifteen-year-old Ciara Pugsley took her own life on Sept. 19, 2012. She was a victim of cyber bullying on Ask.FM, a Latvia-based social media networking site.

Evidence shows that Ciara received messages on the website from people who called her fat, told her she was "acting" depressed to attract attention and accused her of having no respect for herself.

None of Ciara's friends were aware that she was being bullied until after she went missing. Ciara was found hanged in the woods outside her home a month after she went missing without a note.

After Ciara's suicide, many people demanded that Ask.FM shut down because the website has been a factor in many suicides among teenagers before and after Ciara's death.

In response to the demands, Ask.FM's co-founder Mark Terebain said, "“of course there is a problem with cyber-bullying in social media. But, as far as we can see, we only have this situation in Ireland and the UK most of all, trust me. There are no complaints regarding cyberbullying from parents, children, or other sources in other countries. It seems like children are crueller [sic] in these countries [Ireland and UK].”