Content Warning: This article discusses sexual violence and suicide. This week, Daisy Coleman, the subject of the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, tragically took her own life.
In a Facebook post, Coleman’s mother Melinda wrote, “My daughter Catherine Daisy Coleman committed suicide tonight.”
“She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I wish I could have taken the pain away from her,” she wrote. “She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it’s just not fair.”
In 2012 – when Coleman was 14 years old – she was raped at a high school party. When she told her story of sexual violence – documented in Audrie & Daisy – Coleman was bullied on social media and her family suffered threats and harrassment from members of their local community.
The 17-year-old boy who allegedly sexually assaulted Coleman pled guilty to a lesser charge of child endangerment, claiming they’d had consensual sex. The case was dropped and Coleman’s family eventually moved towns.
BBC reports that Daisy Coleman’s case “sparked national discussions over teenage rape cases in the US justice system as well as victim blaming and bullying.”
Audrie & Daisy also told the story of Audrie Pott, a 15-year-old student who was also sexually assaulted at a high school party by three boys. Following the incident, Pott was bullied online and nude photos of her were posted to social media. She took her own life in September 2012, just days after being sexually assaulted.
Both Audrie and Daisy’s stories are utterly heartbreaking, but sadly, they highlight a tragic reality for sexual abuse survivors. A 2017 analysis of nearly 200 independent studies of sexual assault and mental health found that being sexually assaulted is associated with significantly increased risk of anxiety, depression, suicide and more.
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In 2015, Daisy helped co-found the non-profit organisation SafeBAE which aims to stop sexual assault in schools.
“[Daisy] had many coping demons and had been facing and overcoming them all, but as many of you know, healing is not a straight path or an easy one,” SafeBAE wrote in a statement following her death. “She fought longer and harder than we will ever know.”
Daisy’s legacy, and inspiring fight for justice, proves that help does exist – reaching out and speaking out is the first step. As she says in Audrie & Daisy, “you can’t ignore an army of voices. The words of our enemies aren’t as awful as the silence of our friends.”
Our hearts go out to Daisy’s family during this incredibly difficult time.
If you, or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues or is a victim of sexual abuse, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue or 1800 RESPECT for support services.
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