The parents of a 13-year-old girl have issued a stark warning after their daughter took her own life, having posted videos on TikTok saying she wanted to kill herself. Robyn Lott, from Sabden in Lancashire, was found dead in her bedroom on 14 July this year.
A 'Beautiful and Sensitive' Soul Lost
Described by her loving parents, Alison Ward and Malcom Lott, as a 'beautiful and sensitive' girl, Robyn was a vibrant and funny teenager. The inquest at Accrington Town Hall heard she had enjoyed primary school and was a confident child. However, moving to secondary school proved more challenging.
After starting at Ribblesdale School in Clitheroe, Robyn transferred to Accrington Academy six months later due to friendship issues. During the summer term, her parents had begun discussions with the school about a neurodiversity assessment, as Robyn showed autistic traits. 'It was all going to start in the September but she never got the chance,' her mother, Alison Ward, told the coroner.
The Role of Social Media and a Devastating Break-Up
In the weeks before her death, Robyn had posted concerning videos on TikTok. Her mother only discovered her use of the platform after she died, and was unaware her daughter had expressed suicidal thoughts online.
The hearing was told Robyn had recently broken up with a girlfriend and was devastated. She posted content 'alluding to dying and being close to doing it'. Area Coroner Emma Mather noted several posts were 'quite concerning', with at least two videos where Robyn talked about self-harm.
Following an argument with friends, Robyn had been 'a bit upset' but seemed happier after talking to her mother. Tragically, the next morning, 14 July, her father found her unresponsive in her bedroom.
Coroner's Narrative Conclusion and a Mother's Fear
Coroner Emma Mather explained that to return a conclusion of suicide, she must be satisfied the act was deliberate and with the intent to end life. Given Robyn's youth, impulsivity, and heightened emotions, she recorded a narrative conclusion instead.
'Robyn was only 13 at the time of her tragic death and there are probably no words I can use to convey just how tragic the loss of a child is,' the coroner said. 'Her family should be proud of her; she was a wonderful young woman.'
Speaking after the inquest, Alison Ward expressed her fear that children are now '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.'
Robyn's parents believe their daughter did not fully grasp the finality of her actions. 'It was just a spur of the moment thing. She didn't realise, she was too young to understand,' Ms Ward told the coroner.
Alison Ward paid tribute to her 'kind, sensitive, beautiful soul' of a daughter, adding: 'She will never be forgotten, always in my heart and a piece of my soul will always be with her.'
