A father from Mitchells Plain, who learned about his 17-year-old daughter's alleged cyberbullying only after her death, stated that he has decided to forgive those he believes contributed to her suffering.
John October from Lentegeur reported that one of the girls allegedly involved in the harassment of Ashley Saville visited his home with her parents to ask for forgiveness.
Ashley died by suicide on October 7th. Her father struggled to understand how she was able to hide her depression and alleged persecution from him.
The father recounted how he found Ashley unconscious in her bedroom after his 14-year-old daughter returned from school. He said: 'On Wednesday, my 14-year-old daughter came home from school around 2:40 PM and asked me, 'Dad, where is Ashley?' I told her that Ashley was in her room. She put down her bag and said, 'Dad, Ashley isn't here.' She didn't see her sister in the room. I was in the next room, so I went to check. That's when I found my daughter.'
He continued: 'I picked her up and called for help. I took her outside and performed CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but my child was already gone. I saw that her lips and eyes had turned blue. I collapsed and told God that I was entrusting everything to Him. We had spoken just a few minutes earlier, around 2:00 PM, and she seemed fine. I couldn't understand it.'
John expressed strong emotions, explaining that he only learned about the alleged bullying after Ashley's death. Despite his pain, the devout Christian stated that he chooses to forgive those he believes caused his daughter suffering, and prays for them.
He noted: 'My heart is broken. But as a Christian, I must forgive them for what they did to my daughter. It is not easy and it hurts, but I pray for them.'
John reported that one girl, accompanied by her parents, came asking for forgiveness after allegedly posting a photo of herself with Ashley and making hurtful comments about his daughter. He claims that someone among the people Ashley trusted shared her private content without her consent, which was then used to humiliate and disgrace her.
The father admitted that he did not know the extent of his daughter's struggle until friends who knew about the alleged bullying spoke up after her death. He added: 'My daughter hid her depression from me so well. I didn't know anything about it until her death, when other friends who knew what was happening came to tell me.'
He described Ashley as a happy young woman who always smiled and loved the Lord. 'I want to inspire youth and everyone struggling with depression that suicide is not the answer. Please seek help,' he advised.
Ashley left behind a father and three siblings. Her mother passed away from liver failure six years ago. John, who works as an e-hailing driver, is appealing to the public for financial support for Ashley's funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday. Those wishing to contribute can donate to Capitec account number 2038743564.