A 14-year-old girl was found dead in the basement of a Costa del Sol home after taking her own life at the weekend, it has emerged.
The horror discovery was made in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena, according to sources from Emergencias Andalucia cited by Diario Sur.
A search had been activated for the teenager when she failed to return home after last being seen on Saturday afternoon.
A relative of the girl later found her body in the basement of her home.
Paramedics raced to the scene but could only confirm her death. Police ruled the death a suicide and said no third parties are suspected of being involved.
As reported by Cadena Ser, the minor was a student at IES Benalmadena, and according to her parents, she was receiving psychological treatment for bullying.
However, the family reportedly did not file a police report, according to Malaga Hoy.
The incident is being investigated by the police and the Regional Ministry of Education.
The latter has requested information and documentation from the school.
In an update on Monday afternoon, it emerged that the educational institution had no record of the girl having suffered bullying.
This was confirmed in a statement by Maria del Carmen Castillo, Andalucia’s Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training.
She confirmed that the school had not activated any specific protocol relating to the teenager prior to her death.
However, the Policia Nacional are continuing their investigation to determine whether there is any link between her death and possible incidents within the school environment.
Speaking to reporters in Almeria, Castillo explained that the girl was in her third year of secondary school.
She said IES Benalmadena ‘works well with its students’ and has established procedures in place to address bullying and self-harm.
She stressed that while the school currently has five open bullying protocols involving other students, none were related to the deceased minor.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Pablo Quesada, said it was ‘sad that a minor of that age made that decision’, while emphasising that the matter remains under investigation.
If you are affected by this story, support is available. In the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123. In Spain, the national suicide prevention helpline is 024.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
