Hounded: teaching assistant suffered years of abuse before taking her own life (From Bournemouth Echo)

Obviously the police didn't take the incident (with the voodoo doll) seriously enought. A few years ago I had a friend who was being harrassed and threatened by a former partner which she reported to the police and they told her that they could not do anything until there was an incident - i.e. until he actually harmed her. I have read about many similar cases in the media over the years where someone is seriously harmed or even killed by someone because the police do not do enough.

I would have thought the police would be trying to trace the person who sent this to her, but evidently not as they have closed the case. Someone somewhere has this on their conscience Very sad.

Crazy.You can be harrassed & thgreatened but police can only act once you've been hurt.The Laws an ****.

Lets hope the person/s involved get their just rewards.Life has a way of evening these things out.She must have been very disturbed to take her life & leave behind her children? Lets hope we dont get anyone leaving nasty comments about this ladies actions?

Can't understand why people don't switch off internet accounts if they receive harassing messages, even change your name and move, but NEVER let the b*****ds get to you this way.So sad.

The police should continue their investigation,this is a terrible story,and should NOT be just left.We have heard enough stories of what happens when the police do not follow up.

Wageslave wrote:
Can't understand why people don't switch off internet accounts if they receive harassing messages, even change your name and move, but NEVER let the b*****ds get to you this way.So sad.

I agree its a very sad tragic story and i feel for the children and her family. why do people not set the facebook settings so that you cannot be contacted and only have email for family members. To receive a doll through the post is a horrible thing especially if your already depressed and vunerable. I have seen bullying at school gates in the sense of mums be "left out" and if your a timid person it can be horrible. I hope the person who hounded this lady will get their just punishment.

Poor lady and her poor children. :-( No one should be bullied. its unacceptable in any form be it the playground, work or t'internet.

Poor woman. It's sunda like she had someone genuinely harassing her. Or at least caused her to feel that way. It's not nice hating to go home and then locking everything up when you do get in. Waiting for someone to knock on the door (because you've had to remove the doorbell). Freezing when you hear ANYTHING that sounds like a doorbell or knocking. I hope someone keeps looking into this and finding who or what caused this.

spooki wrote:
Poor woman. It's sunda like she had someone genuinely harassing her. Or at least caused her to feel that way. It's not nice hating to go home and then locking everything up when you do get in. Waiting for someone to knock on the door (because you've had to remove the doorbell). Freezing when you hear ANYTHING that sounds like a doorbell or knocking. I hope someone keeps looking into this and finding who or what caused this.

That won't happen because the police have closed the case.

I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

The Liberal wrote:
I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

I think you are right but police too idle to bother,its not the first time that lack of police attention,has cost a life.

pete woodley wrote:

The Liberal wrote:
I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

I think you are right but police too idle to bother,its not the first time that lack of police attention,has cost a life.

The problem is that the prime witness is now no longer alive. Wendy Harries deserved better when she was alive but as said she didnt report the internet harrassment so one can only assume that the doll incident was more difficult for them to trace. Article doesnt say if IPCC are involved. However to prove a point its not gonna stop them investigating the Jimmy Saville case where there is actually no one to be punished!

pete woodley wrote:

The Liberal wrote:
I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

I think you are right but police too idle to bother,its not the first time that lack of police attention,has cost a life.

No isn't and it probably won't be the last either. They could have examined the parcel for DNA/fingerprints etc. but obviously didn't feel the case was worthy of such a detailed investigation. It should have been nipped in the bud at the earliest opportunity because no doubt the harrassment would have become a lot worse in time. Poor lady.

BournemouthMum wrote:

pete woodley wrote:

The Liberal wrote:
I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

I think you are right but police too idle to bother,its not the first time that lack of police attention,has cost a life.

No isn't and it probably won't be the last either. They could have examined the parcel for DNA/fingerprints etc. but obviously didn't feel the case was worthy of such a detailed investigation. It should have been nipped in the bud at the earliest opportunity because no doubt the harrassment would have become a lot worse in time. Poor lady.

She did nt report any of the other stuff to the police though and finger prints and DNA are only helpful if that person who has left them has a criminal record.Fake internet accounts accessed from an internet cafe with no CCTV wont identify anyone either.

BournemouthMum wrote:

pete woodley wrote:

The Liberal wrote:
I reckon if the police delved deep enough they could find the culprit. It's actually quite difficult to completely avoid leaving a trail when using the internet.

I think you are right but police too idle to bother,its not the first time that lack of police attention,has cost a life.

No isn't and it probably won't be the last either. They could have examined the parcel for DNA/fingerprints etc. but obviously didn't feel the case was worthy of such a detailed investigation. It should have been nipped in the bud at the earliest opportunity because no doubt the harrassment would have become a lot worse in time. Poor lady.

She did nt report any of the other stuff to the police though and finger prints and DNA are only helpful if that person who has left them has a criminal record.Fake internet accounts accessed from an internet cafe with no CCTV wont identify anyone either.

Imaximus wrote:
Poor lady and her poor children. :-( No one should be bullied. its unacceptable in any form be it the playground, work or t'internet.

But you bully people by calling them fat. I think you need to look at what you do before commenting on other people

Threats of personal harm and harrassment likely to, and intended to cause distress are assault, as much as getting boshed over the head with a bottle.

Rest In Peace Wendy.

Wendy was my best friend, I was so angry to read that the police said Wendy never reported and of the letters and emails, the police had copies of everything, Wendy opened a file with the police and had an alert on her phone number as she was so scared to be in the house alone with her daughter, the police said that was all they could do unless some physically hurt her!! so yet again they are saying all of this cove up their mistakes, i will hire a private investigator if i have to and I will do everything I can to find the person responsible! Wendy phoned the police the morning she killed herself as something else happened and they said there was nothing she could do, wendy changed all her email address and cancelled facebook which is why they then sent things through the post.

helen054 wrote:
Wendy was my best friend, I was so angry to read that the police said Wendy never reported and of the letters and emails, the police had copies of everything, Wendy opened a file with the police and had an alert on her phone number as she was so scared to be in the house alone with her daughter, the police said that was all they could do unless some physically hurt her!! so yet again they are saying all of this cove up their mistakes, i will hire a private investigator if i have to and I will do everything I can to find the person responsible! Wendy phoned the police the morning she killed herself as something else happened and they said there was nothing she could do, wendy changed all her email address and cancelled facebook which is why they then sent things through the post.

That is disgraceful and I would hope somebody in her family will make an official complaint to the police for their failure to investigate the case properly. They probably have other things on their mind though as suicide is a very difficult thing for a family to cope with. I am not surprised by the way the police handled things though as shown in my comment (first comment above). The police should be there to protect people but unfortunately that is not always the case.

I am sure many will welcome an inquiry into the police statements saying wendy had not reported matters,when she had.once again police covering their own backs.

helen054 wrote:
Wendy was my best friend, I was so angry to read that the police said Wendy never reported and of the letters and emails, the police had copies of everything, Wendy opened a file with the police and had an alert on her phone number as she was so scared to be in the house alone with her daughter, the police said that was all they could do unless some physically hurt her!! so yet again they are saying all of this cove up their mistakes, i will hire a private investigator if i have to and I will do everything I can to find the person responsible! Wendy phoned the police the morning she killed herself as something else happened and they said there was nothing she could do, wendy changed all her email address and cancelled facebook which is why they then sent things through the post.

Thats puts a very different slant on the whole situation and I think if you take this to the press there will be no need for you to hire a PI. At the very least the IPCC needs to look into this but if nobody raises the issue it wont happen. Also going by what is written in this article and Im no forensic scientist etc it seems a little obvious where this may have come from. Wondering if the police thought it too?Curiouser and curioser and so sad that she suffered for so long and no one was brought to justice.

There needs to be more awareness of support groups available to adults who are being bullied & harassed. This woman died needlessly. Bullying does not affect only young people but adults as well.

justsayithowitis wrote:

Imaximus wrote:
Poor lady and her poor children. :-( No one should be bullied. its unacceptable in any form be it the playground, work or t'internet.

But you bully people by calling them fat. I think you need to look at what you do before commenting on other people

Oh dear oh dear....more thatters.....

justsayithowitis wrote:

Imaximus wrote:
Poor lady and her poor children. :-( No one should be bullied. its unacceptable in any form be it the playground, work or t'internet.

But you bully people by calling them fat. I think you need to look at what you do before commenting on other people

I cant believe that you have used this serious thread to bite at what was obviously a fun remark to someone who wont ever read the comment. shame on you.

Imaximus wrote:

justsayithowitis wrote:

Imaximus wrote:
Poor lady and her poor children. :-( No one should be bullied. its unacceptable in any form be it the playground, work or t'internet.

But you bully people by calling them fat. I think you need to look at what you do before commenting on other people

I cant believe that you have used this serious thread to bite at what was obviously a fun remark to someone who wont ever read the comment. shame on you.

I'll second that. There's a time and place for cheap remarks and this isn't one of them.

helen054 wrote:
Wendy was my best friend, I was so angry to read that the police said Wendy never reported and of the letters and emails, the police had copies of everything, Wendy opened a file with the police and had an alert on her phone number as she was so scared to be in the house alone with her daughter, the police said that was all they could do unless some physically hurt her!! so yet again they are saying all of this cove up their mistakes, i will hire a private investigator if i have to and I will do everything I can to find the person responsible! Wendy phoned the police the morning she killed herself as something else happened and they said there was nothing she could do, wendy changed all her email address and cancelled facebook which is why they then sent things through the post.

Helen, I had a friend who was a victim of domestic violence and the police and court system let her down constantly, even going so far as to blatantly lie about things she 'hadn't' reported when she could prove that she had. She was in so many meetings with the complaints people, it was unbelievable. These people are supposed to help us and make difficult times easier. How are we meant to trust them when they let us down? I hope someone carries on with this and complains. It won't bring your friend back but it may make it less likely to happen to someone else.

So sad to read of this. Poor Wendy & her poor family & friends. How desperate she must have felt. Helen054, as someone has already said, a complaint to the IPCC for starters & then try & get this into a national paper. Seems like the local police should hang their heads in shame & face some disciplinaries - and as for the vile cowardly thing - can't call him/her a 'person' - who carried out the harassment - what you do, you get back tenfold - enjoy!