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Teenager killed herself after ten months of hell, says heartbroken mum

Published

3 hours ago

December 2, 2024

MEGAN EVANS was just 14-years-old when she tragically ended her life on February 7, 2017, after enduring ten harrowing months of relentless bullying—both online and in person. That day, she received a devastating message on Snapchat that read: “Go kill yourself.” Hours later, her family discovered her lifeless in their bathroom.

Last week, Pembrokeshire Coroner Paul Bennett ruled Megan’s death a suicide, attributing it to personal struggles, including her boyfriend’s infidelity and her father’s illness. He dismissed the extensive bullying Megan endured as ‘banter,’ stating that phrases like “go kill yourself” were, in his view, “regular use” online. “What may be bullying to one could be banter to another,” he remarked.

Megan’s mother, Nicola Harteveld, has voiced her deep disappointment at the coroner’s findings, questioning his understanding of the destructive power of social media and the pervasive dangers it poses to vulnerable young people. “At the time of her death, Meg didn’t know where to turn,” Nicola told The Herald. “She was like a caged animal.”

“At the time of her death, Meg didn’t know where to turn,” she said. “She was like a caged animal.

“And the people around her – her friends – could see the detrimental effect it was having on her.

“She was wise beyond her years, to the extent that if she was going to do something, she would do it to the best of her ability. If she didn’t give it 110%, then she wouldn’t do it.

“When I found out that she had killed herself, I knew categorically that this was what she wanted to do. And it was the result of ten months of hell. Ten months of being bullied and ten months of gradually losing trust in everything around her. As a result of what was happening, Megan lost trust in her school, and this was the catalyst of her not being able to trust in me.”

Concern over ‘highest-ever’ school bullying rates

Nicola began to notice that things were not right with her daughter in May 2016, which was nine months before her death.

“It was the Monday of half term, she’d gone out with her friends but she phoned me, crying. She said, ‘Come and get me, I’m scared’.

“The girls had collared her down Milford Beach and Meg was hysterical. She later told me that they’d done the same thing to her the previous Saturday…they’d hammered her, and now they were doing the same thing to her again.”

Nicola Hartefeld collected Megan from the beach and immediately rang the police. Following a police interview, the girls responsible for the assault were given a police caution.

Matters continued to deteriorate throughout the autumn term when the bullying to which Megan was being subjected began affecting her conduct and her concentration in the classroom. Between September and February, there were nine recorded incidents, including C1 and C2 warnings and detentions. This, alleges Nicola, was because Megan was being ‘picked on’ by staff for her incorrect school uniform as well as other pupils.

“Before this, Meg had never been in trouble, yet the coroner failed to see this.

“In January, I noticed she wasn’t eating properly…she was just eating junk food and I heard from her friends that even when she was eating something small, like a sandwich, she’d always share it. She was losing weight.

“So I decided that Megan should come home for lunch every day.”
But on January 13, Megan failed to appear.

“I texted her to find out what had happened, and she said that she had been put in detention. But it was lunchtime so this should never have been allowed to happen. I was furious.

“Megan was being prevented from coming home to eat her lunch.”

Following a verbal altercation between Megan’s father, Sean Evans, and school staff, Megan was finally allowed to leave the school premises to eat her lunch.

Four days later, Megan once again rang her mother in tears after being told she couldn’t attend a careers trip to Pembrokeshire College with the rest of her Year 9 pupils.

“Megan didn’t have the permission slip signed so I went straight up to the school, at around 9.20am, to sign it.

“But one of the teachers told me that Megan was unable to go as she didn’t have parental permission. They were adamant about this. And yet there I was, her mother, giving her full permission. Megan really wanted to go on that trip with everyone else but she couldn’t.

“For the rest of that week she was off school with chest pains and anxiety.

“Megan was always a bright, clever girl, but by now she hated being in that school environment.

“I discovered that she was walking out of virtually every single lesson, in tears. There had been this massive decline and yet the school did nothing to find out why this was happening. Instead they were chipping away at her, constantly.”

Finally on February 7, 2017, Megan received a Snapchat message from a pupil in another school. The message read ‘Go kill yourself’. Later that evening 14-year-old Megan was found hanging in her parents’ bathroom.

“The day Meg died was the day that our relationship with her school ended,” continued Nicola. “The first we heard from them following her death was a solicitor’s letter, so they had closed ranks.

Milford Haven School: Police called over 120 times in just two years

“Since her death, I’ve spent the last seven years doing my utmost to raise awareness that it’s not ok to use social media to bully, to condemn or to antagonise others. I

“I’ve tried to show how important it is to look out for warning signs that things may be going wrong, I’ve tried to break the stigma and encourage young people to speak out and express the ways in which they are being bullied.

“But with one fell swoop, the coroner stood on all those efforts and quashed them. He said that those words sent to Megan and all the bullying she’d had to endure amounted to banter and nothing more.

“But I know wholeheartedly that words can kill, because all those words killed my daughter. And by describing them as banter undermines their power.”

Nicola’s sentiments are endorsed in an extract found in Megan’s diary.

“People say it was a joke, but sometimes it goes too far,” she wrote during the last weeks of her life.

“In my opinion, the findings of Megan’s inquest are an injustice to every young person who’s suffering from mental health as they imply that if someone tells you to go kill yourself, then as long as you can stand up for yourself, then you won’t be emotionally affected by it.

“The coroner was negating any responsibility from the people who undermined her throughout those last months of her life.

“As a result, Megan’s legacy has been destroyed.”

Education

‘State-of-the-art’ energy transition skills hub opened by Pembrokeshire College

Published

2 months ago

October 11, 2024

Madeline Knox

Opening on the college site in Haverfordwest, the Energy Transition Skills Hubs is one of three being launched. It will focus on providing people with the skills and knowledge to find employment in energy projects through an immersive and interactive learning experience.

More than 50 representatives from local industry joined Anthony Harte (Head of Social Impact for Shell UK), Paul Davies (MS), Sam Kurtz (MS), Simon Ames (Managing Director Dragon LNG and Dragon Energy), and College and Dragon LNG apprentice Kelly Williams, as they officially opened the Hub.

During the opening Anthony Harte, Head of Social Impact, Shell UK commented: “We want as many people as possible to benefit from the energy system of the future. And we’ve seen this coming to life in Pembrokeshire with the first new energy transition skills hub. This is part of our ambition to support 15,000 people into jobs with a focus on the energy transition by 2035. It is the latest important step to ensure the energy transition is an opportunity for everyone.”

Shadow Minister for Economy and Energy Sam Kurtz added: “The opportunities offered to students by the Energy Transition Skills Hub match the ambitions that Pembrokeshire has in the green and renewable energy sector. This is an exciting investment and a statement of commitment from Shell UK, Dragon Energy and Pembrokeshire College into developing the skilled workforce of today and the future.”

“Pembrokeshire College has quickly become a real centre of excellence, and I congratulate everyone for flying the flag proudly for our part of the world.”

The aim is to train 600 people by July 2026, this will supply Pembrokeshire with an expanse of talent that will have the knowledge and experience of control systems needed for projects such as offshore floating wind farms and the Haven hydrogen power plants.

Current Dragon LNG apprentice Kelly Williams brought the learner perspective to the opening: “The past four years of my apprenticeship have been nothing short of amazing. Whilst on site I have had the privilege of working with some of the most experienced and talented professionals in the industry and spent one day a week in College where the lecturers are just as passionate and inspiring. The blend of practical, hands-on work and theoretical learning through my qualifications has been incredibly rewarding.”

“Today, having toured this incredible new process control simulator, and experimented with the software, I can’t help but feel excited about the future. This facility is truly state-of-the-art, and it’s going to further elevate an already outstanding programme in the energy sector. I can’t wait to make the most of this space as I continue to learn and grow in my field.”

“The suite will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of engineers, equipping us with the skills needed to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

College Principal, Dr Barry Walters added: “This cutting-edge Skills Hub will enable training in control systems for a wide range of sectors including: Offshore Floating Wind; Hydrogen Plant; Solar PV; Tidal/Marine and gas power stations and comes at an important time for the energy sector.

“We would like to thank Shell UK, Dragon LNG, the Swansea Bay City Deal Skills and Talent Fund and City and Guilds along with industry partners and local Members of the Senedd, Paul Davies and Sam Kurtz for supporting this important facility which will not only train college learners and industry professionals but will also support the local community and schools by giving them the opportunity to understand more about how energy transition will impact the way we live and work in the future.”

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens added: “I’m delighted that UK Government funding, via the Swansea Bay City Deal, is being used for such a great facility. Pembrokeshire has an important part to play in achieving our mission for clean energy by 2030.”

“This training facility will mean that local people will be able to gain the skills they need to access the good jobs of the future.”

#PoweringProgress

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Welsh Government under fire over NHS escalation levels

Published

5 months ago

July 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has maintained the escalation statuses of NHS trusts, special health authorities (SHAs), and health boards in Wales amid ongoing financial, operational, and staffing pressures. Eluned Morgan MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, announced the decision today, emphasising that the challenges faced by these bodies are not unique to Wales.

The current statuses indicate varying levels of intervention and monitoring. Notably, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board remains at Level 5, denoting special measures, while several other boards are under enhanced monitoring or targeted intervention.

In response, Sam Rowlands MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, criticised the decision, accusing the Labour Welsh Government of failing to make any progress. He highlighted that all health boards remain escalated to at least Level 3 and questioned the Level 1 status of the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, given that less than half of red ambulance calls are reached within the target time.

Rowlands reiterated the Welsh Conservatives’ call for a comprehensive workforce plan and full allocation of health spending to address these issues.

The Welsh Government today announced no changes to the current escalation statuses of NHS trusts and health boards across Wales, despite significant pressures. Eluned Morgan MS, the Health Secretary, stated that these bodies are still grappling with financial and operational challenges, which are not unique to Wales.

NHS Escalation Statuses:

Aneurin Bevan UHB: Level 4 for finance, strategy, and planning; Level 3 for urgent care at Grange University Hospital
Betsi Cadwaladr UHB: Level 5, special measures
Cardiff and Vale UHB: Level 3, enhanced monitoring
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB: Level 4 for performance; Level 3 for finance
Hywel Dda UHB: Level 4, targeted intervention
Powys Teaching HB: Level 3, enhanced monitoring
Swansea Bay UHB: Level 4 for performance; Level 3 for finance, maternity, and neonatal services
Public Health Wales, Velindre, Welsh Ambulance, Digital Health and Care, Health Education and Improvement Wales: Level 1, routine arrangements

Sam Rowlands MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, lambasted the government for making “zero progress” and criticised the decision to keep the ambulance service at Level 1 despite poor response times for serious calls. He called for a substantial workforce plan and full health spending allocation to improve the situation.

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Conservatives wiped out in Wales as Labour vote falls

Published

5 months ago

July 5, 2024

Jon Coles

THE CONSERVATIVES were wiped out in Wales for the first time since 2001 in an election that poses as many questions as it answers.Labour’s percentage of the Welsh vote usually easily outstrips the Party’s in the rest of the UK. However, an unpopular Welsh Government led by an even more unpopular First Minister saw Labour’s share of the vote decline across Wales, even as it picked up seats.

Plaid Cymru did better than expected. The Party of Wales won four seats, two of them, Ceredigion & Preseli and Dwyfor Meirionydd, by huge margins that suggest it now has a pair of safe seats for the first time in the Party’s history.
Although national polls predicted a Labour win in Caerfyrddin, the parties’ canvass returns in Carmarthenshire did not lie. The Labour vote fell back in our eastern neighbour, while Plaid increased its vote share by a small proportion to retain Jonathan Edwards’ former seat.

On Ynys Mon, a surge in support for Reform UK almost certainly handed Plaid Cymru’s Llinos Medi victory by 1500 votes over former Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie. Ynys Mon also saw the Labour vote drop in one of the few three-way marginals in the UK.
Alun Cairns, Stephen Crabb, David TC Davies, and Simon Hart – all former Welsh Secretaries, lost their seats. In the case of the first two former Secretaries of State, the margin was around 1500 votes, with Reform scoring well and proving the difference between their return and a Labour gain.

Labour threw the kitchen sink in their successful effort to eject the combative David TC Davies from Monmouthshire and – on changed boundaries – succeeded by around 3,000 votes.

It would have taken a miracle for Simon Hart, who accepted the most difficult of the four challenges by standing in Carmarthenshire, to return to the Commons. The miracle didn’t come. Reform took 8,000 votes from Labour and the Conservatives, and Simon Hart’s frontline political career is almost certainly over.

The seat held by another former Conservative Secretary of State for Wales, David Jones, was divided between three new constituencies, each of which returned a Labour representative.

The Liberal Democrat vote bombed across most of Wales. However, the Party regained the redrawn Brecon & Radnor seat from the Conservatives. The margin of victory, fewer than 1500 votes, was well within the number of votes Reform gained in the new constituency.
In Montgomeryshire, the MP at the centre of a betting scandal, Craig Williams, deservedly lost his seat, being beaten into third place behind Labour’s Stephen Witherden and Reform UK’s Oliver Lewis. Mr Williams now finds himself free to spend as much time at William Hill’s as he likes.

The Welsh picture overall looks superficially good for Labour, at least in terms of seats won. However, turnout was 56.6% across the whole country, and Labour’s share of the vote fell.

The vote shares for what we must now consider Wales’s five principal parties are revealing.

Labour got 37% of the vote in Wales, Plaid around 15%, the Conservatives around 18%, Reform 17%, and the Liberal Democrats 6.5%.
However, in polling for a Senedd election in 2026, a poll conducted for Barn Cymru, Labour’s vote share is 27%, with the Conservatives comfortably outpolling their Westminster result, and Plaid’s vote share solidly increased.

First Minister Vaughan Gething has claimed Wales will have a “true partner” in Keir Starmer.

In a post published to X, he said: “After fourteen long years, today we begin a new chapter for Wales.

“Your Labour Government will have a true partner in Keir Starmer as we build the fairer, greener future Wales deserves.
“Two Labour governments working together for a stronger Wales in a fairer Britain. Change begins here.”

However, working together will mean Labour in Wales abandoning some key policy pledges. UK Labour will not return full control of structural funds to Cardiff Bay. Even overnight, Labour MPs fought shy of any suggestion the Welsh Government would get full autonomy over it, as it enjoyed pre-2017.

The Welsh Government’s loud and persistent calls for a share of HS2 funding have also gone out of the window, even at the dramatically reduced £350m (down from almost £4bn) it now claims would be due to Cardiff Bay. The long-hoped-for sweetie of more funding for public services in Wales – specifically for Education spending and Health – will likely be far less than Labour in Wales hoped and will probably not all go into those spending pots.

The Barnett Formula, which decides how much Wales gets as a percentage of what is spent in England, will be “reviewed”. However, a change to a formula based on need – if a change takes place – is years away.

Despite their Welsh wipeout, the Conservatives now have a rare opportunity to take a long look at how they organise and campaign in Wales. Like “Welsh Labour”, the “Welsh Conservatives” are little more than a branch office for Westminster.

If the Conservatives find an authentic Welsh voice, as opposed to merely parroting the attack lines from Conservative Central OfficeHQ, they could regain ground as Labour in Wales struggles with Vaughan Gething’s electorally poisonous reputation and dissatisfaction with a quarter of a century of devolution. If they don’t, Plaid and Reform will benefit.

Reform must now try to organise and professionalise itself for the next Senedd elections. It can’t afford the omnishambles that engulfed its predecessor party between 2016 and 2021 or sit back and expect voters to flock to it.

As an almost explicitly English National Party, Reform must also consider how it will build an offer to appeal to Welsh voters on issues within the Welsh Government’s control.

Meanwhile, Plaid must consider both how to extend its reach in Labour-voting areas and consolidate its position in places where it is already strong. Rhun ap Iorwerth comes out of the campaign with considerable public credit in the bank. It is vitally important to Plaid that they build on his appeal and ability to communicate with voters in a way recent Plaid leaders have not.

For Mr ap Iorwerth, the main challenge is likely to come from within his own Party’s NEC, which is more focused on internal squabbles on single issues than fighting elections on a broad platform.