Teen girl publicly shamed by dad jumps from freeway overpass
A 13-year-old Washington girl killed herself after her father recorded a video of himself punishing her by cutting off her hair.
According to PIX 11, Izabel Laxamana jumped from a highway overpass on Saturday, landing on an interstate. She was taken to a Seattle hospital where she died.
A 15-second video of Laxamana appeared online showing her with short hair and being questioned by her father.
“The consequences of getting messed up?” he is heard saying in the video. “Man, you lost all that beautiful hair. Was it worth it?”
The camera moves to show a pile of Laxamana’s hair on the ground. Police say her father didn’t post the video online, and PIX 11 reported it wasn’t meant to be published.
The video was put online by a third party, Tacoma spokeswoman Loretta Cool told the New York Daily News.
“She was a 13-year-old that made some poor choices, meaning that she didn’t have to kill herself,” Cool said.
A Facebook page, “Justice for Izabel,” has been set up to raise awareness of the consequences of bullying and public shaming.
If you or someone you know needs help dealing with depression, you can call 1-800-273-8255 anytime to be connected to a trained counselor at a crisis center in your area.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva