TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A 16-year-old teenage girl leaped to her death from the ninth floor of an apartment in New Taipei City early this morning (May 22) just days after she told a friend that she had been sexually assaulted by a 20-year-old man, reported ETtoday.

At 7 a.m. this morning, police received a report that a 16-year-old girl surnamed Chen (陳) had leaped from the top floor of a nine story apartment in New Taipei City's Banqiao District. Chen, who had just completed the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students, leaped from the roof of a classmate's apartment building where she was staying on Changjiang Road.

When paramedics arrived on the scene, she was found lying in a pool of her own blood and was not exhibiting any vital signs. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was officially declared dead at 8 p.m.

Prior to her death, Chen told her friend that two days previously she had gone to visit the home of a 20-year-old male friend surnamed Hsieh (謝) in New Taipei City's Luzhou District. However, Chen said that Hsieh sexually assaulted her and her friend suspects that this may be the reason she chose to take her own life.

At 6 a.m. this morning, while watering his flowers, an elderly man spotted Chen appearing to prepare to jump from the roof and he spoke to her to calm her down. The man had believe he had successfully convinced her not to jump, but little did he know, she went ahead and leaped from the building one hour later.

Before Chen committed suicide, she sent a text to her female friend saying, "Good little sister, thank you for your concern and care." Chen's mother has already been informed of her daughter's death.

In order to determine whether the sexual assault or other factors were behind Chen's suicide, police are questioning her parents and friends.

The Junior High School that Chen attended has been informed of her suicide and professional staff have been sent to help Chen's parents manage funeral arrangements, while the school has implemented grief counseling for her teachers and classmates.



Rooftop from which Chen jumped from. (Internet photo)