Home » World News »
Schoolgirl Amber Peat, 13, found hanged after chore row 'blamed herself' for turbulent family problems
A TEEN girl who took her own life blamed herself for family problems, a case review concluded.
Amber Peat, 13, from Nottinghamshire, was found hanged in a hedgerow three days after she went missing following a row over chores.
PROBLEMS AT HOME
Amber's mum Kelly later married Danny Peat who suffered from mental health problems with the teen blaming herself for his "bad moods".
In February coroner Laurinda Bower said the teen was made to scrub the floors until 1.30am while stepdad Danny made her wear "ridiculous" outfits to school in a bid to humiliate her.
The claims were slammed by both Kelly and Danny calling them "lies" but the coroner said they were "not concerned in the slightest" about Amber's welfare.
On May 30, 2015, the day she went missing, the couple went shopping, had the car washed and had tea before calling police – eight hours after she stormed out of the house.
Her body was discovered June 2 – after up to 400 cops searched for her.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
NUMBER OF FAILURES
The serious case review suggested Amber believed "she was too blame for many of the difficulties within the family."
At an inquest last month, coroner Ms Bower, recorded a narrative conclusion – noting agencies missed 11 opportunities which could have prevented her death.
The review also noted that the family frequently moving house, a lack of recording in primary schools, a failure in following policies and procedures, and a weakness in transferring information led to a breakdown of communication between agencies.
The report, commissioned by Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board, also found that despite there being concerns for her emotional well-being "it could not have been predicted that she would take her own life."
The review also said "domestic abuse" between her biological father and mother, which was reportedly witnessed by the children, may have influenced Amber's "needy" behaviour.
Chris Few, independent chairman of the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board, said: "We owe it to Amber to learn from what happened and Nottinghamshire
"Action was commenced to address learning from the review as soon as it was identified and extensive work has been undertaken to ensure that safeguarding systems are as robust as they can be."
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123
Source: Read Full Article