An inquest has heard allegations that schoolboys used a group chat to ridicule a 14-year-old girl, Mia Janin, who is believed to have committed suicide. Mia was a student at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, and was found dead at her family home in Harrow in March 2021. Her father, Mariano Janin, suspects she was a victim of cyberbullying.
Statements provided by Mia’s friends to the Metropolitan Police after her death were presented at the inquest. Evidence was given at Barnet Coroner’s Court suggesting that Mia was bullied at school and their friendship group was mockingly called the “suicide squad” in the months before her death.
According to the statements, one of Mia’s TikTok videos was shared on a Snapchat group chat managed by male students at JFS, where they ridiculed her. One child claimed that the boys used the group chat to distribute explicit photos of girls and manipulated girls’ faces onto adult content performers’ bodies.
The child also revealed a conversation with Mia the day before her death, during which Mia asked: “If you died would people care about you the next day?” Another child disclosed that Mia had posted the TikTok video the night before returning to school after Covid restrictions were lifted and received numerous negative comments from other JFS students.
Mia’s father told the inquest that his daughter had requested to change schools after her first day back. The court heard that his wife Marisa, now deceased, had offered to homeschool Mia for the rest of the academic year and consider transferring her to a different school thereafter. Tragically, Mia was found dead just hours later.
Area coroner Tony Murphy stated that there was no evidence of any images or videos involving Mia being shared in the group chat, apart from the TikTok video. The court also heard that Rabbi Cohen, former deputy headteacher at JFS, instructed the boys to disband the group after Mia’s death. JFS maintains that it was unaware of the group chat prior to Mia’s death.
