A person who would actually actively and successfully encourage another to take his or her own life might as well be responsible for pulling the proverbial trigger.
A U.S. woman was recently ó and rightfully ó found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a disturbing case that in court saw come to light numerous text messages she had sent her depressed boyfriend, urging him to go through with plans to take his own life.
Michelle Carter was 17 when she relentlessly encouraged then 18-year-old Conrad Roy III to kill himself, despite the fact he had expressed doubts until the last moments. The now 20-year-old had even told him to get back in his truck that was slowly filling up with carbon monoxide after he had in a moment of panic jumped out of the vehicle.
Although throughout the course of the relationship she had initially sent messages telling him to get help, Carter gave up and ended up pushing him over the edge, not once ever apparently making the slightest attempt to seek outside support.
"You better not be bullsh*ting me and saying you're gonna do this and then purposely get caught," she wrote in one text message.
"I thought you wanted to do this. The time is right and you're ready, you just need to do it!" she said in another.
In further damning evidence that shed light on Carter's insidious intent, she even sent a friend a week after Roy's death the following text: "They read my messages with him I'm done. My family will hate me and I could go to jail."
Despite that obvious confession, her lawyers appallingly attempted to play the "freedom of speech" card as part of their defence, but the judge saw clear through such a baseless attempt to justify the actions of a cruel and callous individual who did not once ever so much as lift a finger in an effort to seek help.
The judge ruled Carter had a duty to get assistance upon learning about Roy's intentions. Not only did she completely fail to do so, but she instead actively encouraged and convinced him to go through with it.
Mental illness is a growing problem that is not about to go away. Cyber bullying has already resulted in altogether too many cases of depressed young adults being pushed to suicide.
But this case sets a precedent ó Carter, who supposedly cared for Roy ó was the one person who could have sought help from any number of places. Instead, she kept that knowledge to herself, essentially deceiving his family.
Friends and relatives of people who commit suicide often express regret for not noticing or taking seriously the warning signs and taking steps to intervene. So do not ignore your intuition ó if you or someone you know is struggling through a dark chapter in life, we urge you to reach out.
There is no shame in seeking help.
In an immediate crisis situation, call 911. For less urgent cases, community resource centres such as Sundre's Greenwood Neighbourhood Place ó 403-638-1011 ó can offer assistance and resources or referrals.
While it might not always seem as though a single person in the world cares, one would be surprised to learn just how many people would gladly lend a shoulder to lean on as well as a friendly ear to listen.
ó Simon Ducatel, Round Up editor
