Bullying Canada asking parents to talk to kids about suicide ‘pranks’
Posted February 29, 2016 11:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Two girls in Ontario are in trouble after pulling a prank on Bullying Canada.
On Friday, the girls contacted support workers via live chat and pretended to be a young man who was considering suicide.
Rob Frenette with the organization says it turned out to be the most severe false alarm they’ve ever received.
“I can’t think of somebody who went to the extent they did within their messaging. It sounded very real… dispatch, when we were relaying the information, was very concerned that we wouldn’t find this individual in time before something drastic happened.”
“It’s not only taking away resources from youth who need it, but it’s also taking police resources,” adds Frenette. “It’s important for parents to have the conversation with their children about what could happen and possibly the criminal actions that could occur after the fact.”
Toronto Police got involved and officers spent several hours working on the case. Frenette says the girls could be charged with mischief, but it’s not likely, as they are minors.
