A Mitchells Plain father who only discovered that his 17-year-old daughter had allegedly endured months of cyberbullying after her death says he has chosen to forgive those he believes contributed to her suffering.
John October, from Lentegeur, said one of the girls allegedly involved in bullying Ashley Saville had since visited his home with her parents to ask for forgiveness.
Ashley died by suicide on October 7, leaving her father struggling to understand how she had hidden her depression and the alleged bullying from him.
The father recalled how he found Ashley unresponsive in her bedroom after his 14-year-old daughter returned home from school.
He explained: “On Wednesday, my 14-year-old daughter came home from school at around 2.40pm and asked me, ‘Daddy, where is Ashley?’
“I told her Ashley was in her room. She put her bag down and then said, ‘Daddy, Ashley is not here.’
“She hadn’t seen her sister in the room. I was in the next room, so I went to check. That’s when I found my daughter.
“I lifted her and called for help. I carried her outside and performed CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but my child was already gone. I could see that her lips and eyes had turned blue.
“I fell and told God I was handing everything over to Him. We had spoken just moments earlier, at around 2pm, and she seemed fine. I couldn’t understand it.
Image: Supplied
Father learns of alleged bullying after daughter’s death
John struggled to hold back his tears as he explained that he only learnt about the alleged bullying after Ashley’s death.
Despite his pain, the devout Christian father says he is choosing to forgive those he believes contributed to his daughter’s suffering and is praying for them.
“My heart is broken. But as a Christian, I have to forgive them for what they did to my child. It’s not easy and it hurts, but I am praying for them,” he said.
John said one girl, accompanied by her parents, came to ask for forgiveness after allegedly posting a picture of herself with Ashley and making hurtful comments about his daughter.
He alleges that someone Ashley had trusted shared private content of her without her consent, which was then used to embarrass and humiliate her.
John said he had been unaware of the extent of his daughter’s struggles until friends who knew about the alleged bullying came forward after her death.
“My daughter hid her depression so well from me. I knew nothing about any of this until after she died, when other friends who knew what was happening came to tell me,” he said.
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Family appeals for funeral assistance
He described Ashley as a happy young woman who always had a smile on her face and loved the Lord.
“I want to encourage young people, and anyone dealing with depression, that suicide is not the answer. Please reach out for help,” he said.
Ashley leaves behind her father and three siblings. Her mother died from liver failure six years ago.
John, who works as an e-hailing driver, is appealing to the public for financial assistance with Ashley’s funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday.
Those wishing to contribute can donate via Capitec account number 2038743564.
