'I feel like no-one': Girl, 12, dies in father's arms from mystery condition after being tormented by school bullies







Parents discover trove of heart-breaking letters revealing their daughter's suffering



Father hands police the names of 13 children accused of tormenting girl

A distraught father has told how his 12-year-old daughter collapsed and died in his arms after being tormented by bullies at school.

Holly Stuckey’s sudden death has not been explained by doctors and is being investigated by police and education officials.

Holly, who was an only child, was described as innocent, quiet and timid by her grieving family.



Bullied: Father Clive Stuckey holds his daughter Holly

Her father Clive, 42, said: ‘People made fun of her because she did not know much about sex education.

‘She was a beautifully innocent young girl but the kids turned on her and started to call her a lesbian because she didn’t know as much as them.

‘In the weeks before Holly died she wouldn’t go anywhere on her own.

‘She wanted me to take her everywhere.’

Mr Stuckey said he found letters in her bedroom which described how she was being bullied by other children – which he believes put a strain on her heart.

Holly had only just started Year 8 at secondary school when she complained at home of chest pains and being unable to breathe.

Her family called an ambulance but moments later she stopped breathing and could not be revived.

Note: Holly Stuckey's letter of despair

Mr Stuckey, who is trained in first aid and works as a carer for the elderly, said yesterday: ‘She died in my arms – it was the worst thing any parents could go through.



‘It wasn’t until afterwards that we discovered the torment she’d been going through.



‘Bullies had been putting her through hell.’

Mr Stuckey says he found letters in Holly’s bedroom which described her experiences at Maesteg Comprehensive School, near Bridgend in South Wales.

A note written in pink biro read: ‘I hate you for what you have done to me. I feel like no one.’

He added: ‘Holly was withdrawn when she came home from school – she only had three friends, the rest turned on her.

‘But her confidence would come rushing back when she came into the house. She was always singing and dancing around, or playing on her Wii.’

Mr Stuckey has given the names of 13 children to police who are investigating his daughter’s death for the coroner.

Although Holly suffered from asthma, the condition was thought to be under control, and an initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive.



An inquest has been opened but her parents have been told it could be three months before they know what caused her death.

Mr Stuckey, who lives in Maesteg with his wife Lee, 47, said: ‘We just don’t know but it could have been the emotional strain of what she was going through which brought on a heart attack.

‘I have been contacted by several other parents who have told me that their children are being bullied.

‘I want other parents to stand up for their children. I want to protect them.’

The Stuckeys asked mourners to wear pink at Holly’s funeral at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, in Maesteg.

Distraught: Holly's parents have handed the names of 13 of her alleged tormentors to police

Her body was carried in a Hannah Montana coffin to the sound of Whitney Houston’s song I Will Always Love You.

During the service her parents paid tribute to their daughter, saying: ‘You brought out the sunlight in our lives. The angels will look after you now.’

A school spokesman said: ‘We employ a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and offer quick action to support victims, deal with bullies and resolve any conflicts.

‘If any pupil is found to have been involved in bullying, their parents are informed and are asked to attend a meeting along with their child, where the school’s position is made very clear.

‘Appropriate action is then taken as required.’

Inquiry: Staff at Maesteg Comprehensive School, where Holly was a pupil, said there was a 'zero-tolerance' approach to bullying



