Principal defends his school naming victim

A Wellington principal has defended publishing in his school's newsletter the name of a pupil who killed herself.

However, suicide prevention experts have expressed concern that naming the victim and saying how she died could encourage copycat incidents.

The newsletter - which is distributed to parents and appears on the school's website - said the pupil "ended her own life".

The Coroners Act prevents the media from saying anyone committed suicide till a coroner makes such a finding.

Health Ministry acting suicide prevention coordinator Candace Bagnall said the naming of the pupil was "not very helpful".

"People don't need to know the young person's name."

She said publishing the name and how she died could encourage copycat incidents.

Barry Taylor, from Wellington Regional Public Health's suicide subvention service, said the pupil's death placed the school in a difficult position.

"A lot of people would have known about the suicide."

He said there was a lot of debate among suicide prevention professionals about how to handle the publication of information about incidents.

Asked about publishing the pupil's name - or how she died - in the school newsletter, Mr Taylor said: "I would not have done that".

Though the school was entitled to communicate with its community, "it could have been done better and the name does not have to be there".

However, the college had been well-intentioned in alerting parents there had been a death.

Mr Taylor said he would review the school's handling of the incident this week at the school's request.

The principal who wrote the newsletter believed he had acted appropriately.

"It was a traumatic time for me as a principal and for her family. It was hideous for the school," he said.

The funeral was held in the school's hall with hundreds of pupils attending. The pupil's parents spoke openly at the funeral about suicide.

"I was reporting back to the same community they talked to."

He said the newsletter had advised pupils that help was available if they were going through difficult times.

- © Fairfax NZ News