Police investigate bullying claims after 14-year-old girl’s death in Benalmádena

The National Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 14-year-old girl who took her own life last weekend in the Costa del Sol town of Benalmádena.

Her parents told officers that their daughter was suffering from bullying at the school she attended.

The events unfolded between the afternoon and evening of Saturday 14 February. Her older brother last saw her at around 4pm, but the teenager neither returned home nor answered her family's calls, very out of the ordinary for her. According to those who knew her, she was an excellent student with no problems at home.

The distraught parents even called Benalmádena's Local Police, who broadcast the search request to patrol cars with a physical description of the teenage girl. However, all their efforts were in vain. She was not found on the streets of the town and, shortly before midnight, her brother found her dead in the basement of their home.

Neither the National Police officers nor the paramedics from the 061 emergency services who arrived at the house could do anything to save her. After confirming her death, investigators examined the scene and observed clear signs that the girl had taken her own life.

The parents themselves told officers that their daughter, a pupil at IES Benalmádena, was undergoing psychological treatment because she was apparently being bullied at school. The police are now investigating this, as is the local education authority, which has requested all relevant information from the secondary school regarding this pupil.