Dinah was 14 years old when she ended her life in 2021. Her parents are convinced that her suicide was the result of the school bullying she suffered. The investigation has just been relaunched after being closed without further action a year ago.
The lawyer for the family of Dinah Gonthier, who maintains that this teenager committed suicide because she was the victim of school harassment, said “satisfied” with franceinfo that the investigation is “relaunched” after being received on Thursday by two investigating judges from Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin).
Dinah, 14, was found hanging at the family home in Kingersheim on the night of October 4 to 5, 2021. After a first complaint dismissed by the Mulhouse public prosecutor’s office, the family had, in November 2022, filed a complaint with the constitution of civil party for “moral harassment” and complicity, “provocation to suicide, failure to render aid and involuntary homicide”.
“We can congratulate ourselves for having held on”
Two investigating judges were jointly seized and received Dinah’s parents and brother, as well as their lawyer, Me Laure Boutron-Marmion, Thursday morning. “At the end of this hearing, we can congratulate ourselves for having held on despite the year that passed before we could be heard”lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion told franceinfo.
“The family took the time to recall what was missing from the preliminary investigation and new investigations will be carried out”, she added. Coincidentally, this meeting between Dinah’s family and the two investigating judges took place on the National Day Against School Bullying.
“The family sees this as a strong message of hope for all families who are fighting in court to have the school harassment experienced by their child recognized.”
Me Laure Boutron-Marmion, lawyer for Dinah’s familyat franceinfo
After a first suicide attempt in March 2021, Dinah killed herself the following fall while she was in second grade in Mulhouse. Her family had filed a complaint for “harassment”, “involuntary manslaughter” and “incitement to suicide”, for events which took place when Dinah was in 4th and 3rd grade. She accused the college of not having reacted to the situation. But on September 30, 2022, the Mulhouse public prosecutor announced that this complaint had been dismissed, explaining that “for the prosecution, Dinah’s death was not the result of school harassment”and had cleared the educational team.