A 16-year-old girl found hanged in school toilets was taunted for being Polish, an inquest has heard.

Dagmara Przybysz, who was a pupil at Pool Academy in Redruth, Cornwall, was found in toilets near the maths department in May 2016.

Dagmara's mother said in a statement that her daughter had been called names, and had overheard racist comments such as "stupid Pole".

The teenager, who had lived in Britain with her family for nine years, had also told her boyfriend that she had been told to "go back to your own country".

Image: The aspiring photographer had won a place to study at Truro College. Pic: Facebook

The aspiring photographer had reportedly been looking forward to her school prom and shopping for a dress with her mother.


She had already won a place to study photography at Truro College.

Her mother, Ewelina, told the court her daughter had been having trouble with some of the girls at her school and had specifically mentioned an incident just days before her death when one girl had "called Dagmara names".

She said: "I don't know whether these incidents were racist in nature. However, I can say that on several occasions she overheard comments such as 'stupid Pole'."

A pastoral support worker at Pool Academy, Susan Kent, told the court: "To the best of my knowledge, Dagmara never mentioned any problems with racism to me or any other person at school."

The majority of the teenager's friends, and her boyfriend, Lewis Simpson, all went to a different school.

The day before she was found dead at school, Dagmara had been taken to hospital by her uncle, Tomasz Dobek, after punching a wall during a PE lesson.

She had told Mr Dobek she was angry because some girls were laughing at her.

On the morning of her death, she had called her uncle crying and saying she had taken some tablets. However, her parents sent her to school when they saw no physical signs she was unwell.

Described by her teachers as a "lovely girl", Dagmara was also reported to have been worried about her exams and concerned she may have dyslexia.

The inquest continues and is expected to last for three days.

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