KUCHING: The 16-year-old girl in Sarawak who committed suicide on Tuesday after holding a poll on her Instagram is believed to have been battling depression.
Padawan district police deputy chief, DSP Merbin Lisa said based on the investigation, the girl who was known as Davia Emelia, 16, was suspected of experiencing depression.
“However, based on the statement from the victim’s mother, she did not show any behavioural change prior to the incident.
“According to her mother, the victim was close to her stepfather but since the stepfather married a Vietnamese woman, he rarely returned to Kuching to meet the victim. It caused the victim to feel sad,” he said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.
The girl lived with her mother, who is an Indonesian, and stepbrother at a unit on the third floor of the commercial block.
Mervin said the investigation was still ongoing and so far the police had obtained statements from the school and the victim’s close friends.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) issued a statement to advise social media users to be more attentive and sensitive to suicidal postings to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
MCMC said reports should be made directly to the police, family members and friends of the individual involved.
Individuals plagued by depression may seek counselling and emotional support from support groups such as The Befrienders through email sam@befrienders.org.my or contact them via the 24-hour hotline at 03-79956 8145. — Bernama
