A SCHOOLGIRL who posted suicidal videos on TikTok after a falling out with friends took her own life, an inquest has heard.
Robyn Lott, 13, was found dead in her bedroom on July 14 after reportedly sharing posts in which she said she wanted to end her life.
The hearing at Accrington Town Hall was told the teen, from Sabden in Lancashire, had been “a bit upset” following an argument with friends but had seemed brighter after speaking with her mother.
Robyn’s parents, Alison Ward and Malcom Lott, said they had no idea she had been using TikTok or expressing suicidal thoughts.
In the weeks before her death, the inquest heard, Robyn had posted videos “alluding to dying and being close to doing it,” with Area Coroner Emma Mather describing at least two of the clips as “quite concerning”.
Her father discovered her unresponsive when he went to wake her for school the next morning.
The coroner returned a narrative conclusion, saying that although Robyn caused her own death, she was too young to fully understand the consequences.
Ms Mather said: “I know that Robyn had referred to wanting to k*** herself in messages to friends but she was young, she was impulsive and she was experiencing heightened emotions.”
Robyn’s mother told the inquest: “It was just a spur of the moment thing. She didn’t realise, she was too young to understand.”
She added that children today appear “desensitised” to suicide and self-harm.
“We didn’t know about that when we were that age,” she said.
“I know there needs to be awareness about it but it’s almost as if kids are desensitised to it. Parents need to know that this can happen to anyone.”
The inquest heard Robyn had been a “confident child who made friends easily” at primary school, but secondary school proved more difficult.
She later moved to Accrington Academy after “friendship challenges” at her first school, and her parents had recently sought a neurodiversity assessment after autistic traits were noted, which was due to begin in September.
“It was all going to start in the September but she never got the chance,” Ms Ward said.
In the days before her death, Robyn had also split up with the girl she had been seeing and was reportedly devastated.
Police later learned she had confided in a friend about cutting herself after the breakup and had previously sent a message saying: “I’m going to k*** myself.”
After the hearing, Ms Ward said her daughter was “a kind, sensitive, beautiful soul” and added: “She will never be forgotten, always in my heart and a piece of my soul will always be with her.”
It comes as relatives and friends paid fresh tribute to Robyn, described by loved ones as a “quirky ray of sunshine”.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help with funeral costs, and her family have asked mourners to wear casual clothing, or even the “ears and tails” Robyn loved to accessorise with.
Teddy bears, rather than flowers, are being collected for charity.
Her mother said: “She was an angel. Her smile lit up the room and she was always smiling and happy – she had this brightness inside her as she was one of those bright, happy people.
“She was also very quirky and didn’t ‘follow the crowd’. She was her own person and she owned that.
“She was a little ray of sunshine and my absolute world. We would often blast music, dance around the kitchen and sing at the top of our voices – my phone is full of selfies of us doing silly, funny things.
“Robyn loved animals. We have a lot of pets and she has always been close to them.
“She loved fashion and she used to dress up and accessorise when she was little – she was so creative and loved drawing. She had her own style and was so unique – she wasn’t one to follow the crowd or any particular trends.”
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: