Nine teenagers have been charged in connection with the death of an Irish girl who killed herself after months of sustained bullying at a school in the US.
Phoebe Prince, originally from Fanore in west Clare, had moved to the Massachusetts town of South Hadley last year.
She is believed to have killed herself on January 14th last at her home after suffering weeks of torment from bullies at school and online including on her Facebook page.
She had started at South Hadley High a few months before her death and was due to return to Ireland later this year.
Yesterday, District Attorney Elizabeth D Scheibel confirmed that nine teenagers, seven of them girls and three of them juveniles, have been charged in connection with Phoebe's death following a 10-week criminal investigation.
According to the District Attorney’s office, one 17-year-old male was charged with statutory rape, violation of civil rights, criminal harassment and disturbing a school assembly. Another male, aged 18, also faces a charge of statutory rape.
A 17-year-old girl is accused of violation of civil rights, criminal harassment, disturbing a school assembly while another girls (16) has been charged with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury.
Two other girls, both aged 16, are accused of violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury and stalking as a youthful offender.
Three girls, who were not named, are also charged with various counts from violation of civil rights, criminal harassment and assault with a dangerous weapon, believed to be either a bottle or a can. All the accused will be served a summons to appear in court at a future date, officials have said.