Headlines

May 08, 2008

'Emo suicide cult' blamed for teen's death...

Telegraph | Read Full Story >

Hannah Bond, 13, hanged herself from a bunk bed in her bedroom with a tie believing her death would impress fellow followers of the “emo” movement, it was said.

The teenager, who left a suicide note and used the nickname “Living Disaster”, committed suicide after flippantly telling her parents, “I want to kill myself”, when she returned late from a friend’s house.

They dismissed the comment and said “don’t be silly” but an hour later found her suspended an inch from the floor.

They dialled 999 and paramedics battled for over an hour to save her but she had lost consciousness and died.

Roger Sykes, the coroner who recorded a verdict of suicide, found aspects of the youth movement, which began in America, “very disturbing”.


Post a comment

Previous comments include

#1 JMG says:

Emo suicide cult.......isn't that all a bit redundant?

#2 And... says:

The world loses another future gas attendant.

#3 Leo says:

Hey kids, there is life after high school. But emo suicide is redundant.

#4 School Nurse says:

I’m a school nurse & you wouldn’t believe how many of the “emo” kids cut. They call themselves “emo,” by the way. We’ve sent at least a dozen kids to the local psychiatric hospital for self-injury and suicidal ideation just during this school year. About 90% of those kids were self identified “emo” kids. Sadly, it did not surprise me when the news broke that that 13-year-old girl killed herself in the UK. I really feel terrible for her family! I was pretty confused about the whole “emo” thing until one of the kids showed me the website http://whatisemo.bravehost.com/. Once I saw that site, I understand the issue much better now; please take the time to view this and protect yourself and your loved ones.

#5 Lucy says:

This really makes me not want to have children. How do you protect them from things like this? Some marketing asshole at Warner?

#6 Seraph says:

Too bad she didn't get the real meaning of My Chemical Romance, and that is to save lives. Its a sad loss.

#7 pip says:

omg this is pathetic!!!!!
how can u say that?
you have no idea who or what emo's are
dont blame then for things that u have no answers to.
and that girl wasnt an emo,
she was a wannabe scene kid, get it ryt at least you could do that.
i hate the media for exposing things like that. you people are the ones that make us look bad!!!!

#8 Steph says:

It would help, pip, if you used correct English grammar to express your opinion. Then maybe people would take you seriously.

Oh my god!! This whole emo thing is getting on my nerves now. They aren't individual, they follow a fashion for crying out loud. They just want to finally fit in somewhere they have never done before. Grrr...

If she did this to impress people over the internet, then she wasn't as bright as the teachers of her school were saying was she? If she was, she would have had the sense to know the "emo" cult is essentially a bunch of idiots who took the genre of the music and turned it into something much more sinister. Because that's all Emo was when it began god knows how many years ago.

And My Chemical Romance blatantly aren't emo. They are pop. Nobody seems to realise this. They did the album titled "The Black Parade" and began to dress like rejects from a Gothic style military camp in order to gain attention. People then decided that they would take the band's album title and use it to name a place where these "emo" kids would go after they killed themselves.

Basically, it's all just a stupid attention seeking scheme for teenagers that aren't normally recognised at school and get pushed to the back of the class to be recognised and to be at the centre of attention. It is not a cult!

Just to inform you, I am a 15 year old school girl who has been through a phase where I dressed in black and listened to My Chemical Romance because I hadn't yet found my feet. That was four, five years ago and I have now found my feet and realised that it was just a stupid attention seeking scheme. Get over it.

#9 123sop says:

i personaly think its stupid and wrong to blame innocent bands like my chemical romance for a childs own decision to commit suicide. who ever said this is wrong in the head, its a song for goodness sake how rediculus can you get. i think that when she said she wanted to kill her self to her parents they sould have got her help straight away. emo is deeper than you think its a whole other way of thinking you cant just say you want to commit sucide or self harm just to fit in with what everyone else is doing, theres a real reason behind it! dont base esumptions on something you dont know anything about (thats to the idiot who came up with this rubbish!) how could the media acctualy consider this ramble to nonsense! WHATS THIS WORLD COMING TO!!!

#10 elizabeth says:

Mcr had nothing to do with her death they didnt even know her personally so there not responsible for her death that damn dead girl just wants attention although shes gone now but screw that emo its her fault and her life!!!!

#11 Stephanie says:

Can i just say how pathetic it is to blame a music band for a girls suicide death!!

as My Chemical Romance are NOT!! emo they are alternative which has nothing to do with emo??

As for the newspapers whom think that emo is a death cult they have mis-understood the true meaning of emo as it is not a death cult or anything about suicide it began as a music genre that has reformed over the years into a fashion genre that many teenagers have become today.

The meaning of emo has had many stupid meanings that have nothing to do with the true meaning in which is why many teenagers today bully those whom are emos by abusing abuse at those who are emo

To be honest i think what the girl did was pretty stupid as self harming is not apart of emo!!

#12 jess says:

Emo is not about suicide or slitting your wrists it just means emotional why do people always think you have to commit suicide or somthing :(

Hannah Bond R.I.P xx

#13 mcr fan says:

OMG that is complete crap as i no like 20 people who where gunna kill thenslefves and then listened to my chemical romance, myself being one of them. You guys dont even what what you are going on about. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE SAVES LIVES YOU IDIOTS! Emo is about self expession. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE YOU STARTS SAYING RUBBISH LIKE THAT YOU FUCKTARDS!!!!!

#14 Tyler Sparks says:

ok first if you ask my chemical romance, they arent and 'emo' band'. second, it is people who claim to be 'emo' and do things like this who give 'emo' a bad image. Emo isnt a mass suicide cult. It started out as a genre of music. and then it became a fashion trend. then people began stating that they have become MORE EMOTIONAL. The media just tries to blow everything out of porportion when they write things like this. Does anybody ever think that this girl actually had something wrong in her life, that she was afraid to share with anyone, like a deep dark secret? instead of thinking about things like that people automatically start to blame others like My Chemical Romance for the death of a little girl who at the time just couldnt take what she was handeling anymore, if the media should blame anyone they should blame the parents. Not only for basically neglecting their daughter long enough for her to do something like this but also for not noticing that she had a problem. This is non-sence the media blaming My Chemical Romance though.

#15 Jen says:

When did emo become a cult???
The poor girl had problems as well as all the other kids that cut them selves
By the way not all emos cut them self my best mate is one and she super nice and would never hurt her self.
It just a cry for attention

#16 Emo-is-love says:

heyy i dont get it,,
there is no point blaming My Chemical Romance (mcr) for this poor girls suicide,,
i doubt she wanted to impress the "emo cult" as you call it.
It was her choice for suicide nd that was the choice she took.
I'm Emo,,I cut my arm not my wrists,,But i don't intend on hanging myself.

#17 Tawny says:

I really think that this whole article is absolutely bullshit. My Chemical Romance did not influence this young girl to kill herself. This band encourages for you to live, and to not worry what people say about you. And the lead singer of My Chemical Romance was a sucidal drunk, and he pulled himself out of it, because wanting to kill yourself would get you no where. And he had been sober for 4 years this August. And he doesn't promote killing your self, he promotes teens for wanting to live. All of My Chemical Romance's music is mostly about the problems that Gerard,(lead singer) went through in his life, and how unhealthy it is. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE SHOULD NOT BE BLAMED FOR THIS FAMILY'S MISFORTUNE! And I hope that My Chemical Romance sees this, and thank me for sticking up for them, and I hope that that her family sees this comment, because it's not My Chemical Romance's fault, it is theirs. Because they had no idea what was going through her daughter's mind and they could had saved her, if they really got to know her, and what she was all about. But again, it is absolutely bullshit that My Chemical Romance was blamed. And if you want to talk to me about your views on this subject, then email me.

tawnyyxxriot@aim.com

#18 CartoonVampire says:

Why are they Blaming My Chemical Romance for it, Just because she was a big fan??
The whole point of My Chemical Romance is to help kids be who they are.... They aren't exactly saying "Go out and kill yourself" are they??
What alot of Bull!
I think it is a shame that she did it, it's a sad loss... bit My Chemical Romance are not to blame!!

#19 Meral says:

The girl obviously has very clever parent; her dad saw her cuts and dismissed them, she said she wanted to kill herself and again they ignored it. She was crying out for help but didn't get any, don't blame an incredible life-saving band, it's not their fault at all

#20 hailey quin says:

i am 16 and i have been listing to my chemical romance since 2004 when they first came out i have never thought of killin myself over a band this beautiful young lady obviously had deep seeded problems music dont make u kill you fuck up lifes do but music was a scapegoat to her death if u listen to mcr's music its has nothin to do with suicide it reminds me of OZZY when he went througt this shit when he got sued for wrongfull death music dont kill people do
rock on and if your fucked up get a good shrink!!!

#21 Tawny says:

MUSIC DOESN'T KILL PEOPLE!
PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!

#22 MCRFan says:

"When we first started out I had a really big issue and a lot of my loved ones had a really big issue with the fact that I was totally in pain up there and there was a time when I tried to hurt myself off stage, but I got over that. Like, you should never want to hurt yourself. You should love yourself. Sometimes you have to kind of die inside in order to rise from your own ashes and believe in yourself and love yourself and become a new person and I think that that is going to be a lot of what the next record is about, not to plug it or anything. Like, it's going to talk about dying and coming back to become what you totally want to become. We are all becoming what we want to become."

Like, you should never want to hurt yourself. You should love yourself - Gerard Way

That quote from Gerard goes against what people are blaming them for. He said that everyone should love themselves and never hurt themselves. The band is about SAVING LIVES after the 9/11 tragic accident. The song 'Skylines and Turnstiles' was the first song that Gerard wrote, in honor of the heroes of 9/11. I think that the blame should go to her parents. She warned them that she was going to kill herself and they didn't even think about that she could be telling the truth. That maybe she wanted help. Emo, does not support suicide, its for people that are even more emotional, listen to certain bands, that PROMOTE LIVING, NOT DEATH! If you care to blame a band, Make sure that the band does not support SAVING LIVES, find one that says 'cut my wrist and slit my throat'. My Chemical Romance doesn't even have a song that talks about self mutilation. Most of their songs are about what Gerard Way went through when he was a perscription drug abuser, and an alcoholic. Never do they say in their songs to 'Go kill yourself'. So next time THINK before you ACCUSE.

#23 Metal Head says:

Tch yet another so called "emo" girl commiting suicide, this is stupid and pathetic. Basically attention seeking, that what the trend emo is. Real self harmers don't go singing about it and telling other people to go off and top themselves.

My chem have allways been a crap band but they do not promote self harming i have to say in their defence, I used to listen to thier old stuff and well it got tiring and repetative and quite frankly rubbish, singing about they "They are not okay" GET OVER IT! This so called emo culture needs to take a look around at themselves and see how pathetic what they are doing really is, and soo stressful for their parents, really now.

#24 chrissy says:

oh my god that is so sad to here what happen to your daugtar i hope you are ok that is very sad to here about her i am very sorry

#25 -----XX says:

Metal Head, go screw yourself.
My Chemical Romance isn't crap.
They are perfection bitch!

#26 nay3546 says:

that is outragous. i get called emo. big deal. i dont cut myself. i'm not dead. i'm not planning to.
what happend to all the kids who lost their lives is a tragedy, but it was them that did it.
they did it to themselves. it was a choice that they made. not a cult.
i know many people who have self harmed. they got help. they spoke to people. they didn't hoist themselves an inch from the floor with a belt or a tie.
if people would stop blaming these non-existant cults for the deaths of younge people, and listend to these disturbing cries for help, then maybe there would be less teen suicide.

#27 stuck in a mosh says:

too true, too true.

Metal Head says:
Tch yet another so called "emo" girl commiting suicide, this is stupid and pathetic. Basically attention seeking, that what the trend emo is. Real self harmers don't go singing about it and telling other people to go off and top themselves.

My chem have allways been a crap band but they do not promote self harming i have to say in their defence, I used to listen to thier old stuff and well it got tiring and repetative and quite frankly rubbish, singing about they "They are not okay" GET OVER IT! This so called emo culture needs to take a look around at themselves and see how pathetic what they are doing really is, and soo stressful for their parents, really now.

-----XX says:
Metal Head, go screw yourself.
My Chemical Romance isn't crap.
They are perfection bitch!
^^^^^^^
can point out so many mistakes in the above message.
1. metal head is in no way wrong in what they said.
2. your opinion is SO biased it is seriously upsetting
3. my crappy romance are an image obsessed band who are now officially commiting profesional suicide. (no pun intended) :|

and your grammar is appauling.

has anybody actually asked a so called "emo" if they're thinkin about killin themselves? no? thought not. as there are no REAL emos. they're all sad little wannabes that are constantly in mourning.
mourning for what? LACK OF IMAGINATION!!!!!!!!!!
the media is so full of shit. but its shit that comes form comments like the one from -----XX that fuels this never ending cycle of melodramatic bullshit.

wanna argue a point? think i'm right, or wrong.
txt me n tell me. cuz i'm genuinly interested.
07927793501
xxx muah xxx

#28 -----XX says:

Hey stuck in your moms vagina!
You should have been the one that commited suicide. Seriously. Anyone in this natural born world that says "appauling" is seriously a faggot. You know nothing about My Chemical Romance. They promote anti-suicide, they didn't make that girl fucking kill herself. Everything that that metal faggot said was completely wrong. And look at you, you faggot. You saying that I am biased when you are sitting here giving your fucking opinion on what metal shit said. So go fuck yourself. Kay, thanks.

#29 MCRFan says:

Stuck in a mosh:

I Love how much your parents told you about not giving out important information. DID THEY NOT TEACH YOU ANYTHING?

Ever heard of DON'T GIVE OUT YOUR PHONE NUMBER ONLINE? I Guess not. But anyways. I love how your spelling is for JUNIOR HIGH KIDS. Do you want examples?

"wanna argue a point? think i'm right, or wrong.
txt me n tell me. cuz i'm genuinly interested."
wanna - want to
txt - text
genuinly - genuinely

I love your spelling errors and the grammer errors. What do they teach you in school? Obviously not spelling and grammer because that is what you LACK!

Also, what's with the use of many exclamation points. I THINK WE GET IT! You want to put down other people, well guess what YOUR NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP YOUR CASE! And i do believe with -----XX

And do you think of how the parents dismissed the cutting and the part where Hannah even ADMITTED that she was going to kill herself. I am called 'emo' But i DO NOT cut, and i DO NOT think or even want to commit suicide. I am HAPPY with my life, not wanting for this BULLSHIT to continue.

Many people have bias opinions! It's not up to you, whether to say that their OWN OPINIONS ARE WRONG. Its what they believe. Not what you BELIEVE. Everyone have their own opinions and -----XX was just stating theirs. You stated yours and now i stated mine. But before you even THINK of replying, how about you learn how to spell things, or even use DICTIONARY.COM! It will help with your bad spelling. Maybe you should type your response in WORD or another program that will check your spelling and grammer, because you severly lack it.

#30 nay3546 says:

stuck in a mosh and -----XX are both so self obsessed it is unreal.
since when are these comments supposed to induce conflict?
why cant everybody just stop arguin n sort out the real issues.
but i have to agree with metal head on the my chem part. they do REALLY suck ass. they change their image to make a statment then get bored n change to somthin else. lame... much?
but seriously guys, less self obsession would do you alot of good. it should be people like -----XX that take this into account, especially the coment to stuck in a mosh. wwhy tell sombody to go top themselves? honestly?!
you bunch of fucking idiots.

oh yea... btw... stuck in a mosh is SUCH a REDUNDANT name. -----XX is SO OVER - RATED i almost pitty all of you.
metal head seems to be the only level headed REAL person in this blog. and just because you dont agree with sombodys oppinion you dont have to tell them to go die.

-----XX you sad, sad person... i pitty you.

#31 ross says:

get a grip
why dont people open their eyes and actulally make the efort to talk to 'emo' kids
emo thta s just rude because they are different they get abuse for it cmon get a grip and because she listened to mcr thats probabaly an excuse for the parents to get away from the fact that they probabaly never even tried to talk to her
'emo' the say get a grip wy dont people open their eyes!!!!

#32 -----XX says:

HEY nay3546!
I pity your mother! My Chemical Romance is fucking perfection, serisously. So go die. :]

#33 MCRFan says:

Ross-
get a grip
why dont people open their eyes and actulally make the efort to talk to 'emo' kids
emo thta s just rude because they are different they get abuse for it cmon get a grip and because she listened to mcr thats probabaly an excuse for the parents to get away from the fact that they probabaly never even tried to talk to her
'emo' the say get a grip wy dont people open their eyes!'

Ross, you also need to learn how to spell. Do you also want examples? Because your spelling is atrocious along with your grammer.

Nay3546-
'stuck in a mosh and -----XX are both so self obsessed it is unreal.
since when are these comments supposed to induce conflict?
why cant everybody just stop arguin n sort out the real issues.
but i have to agree with metal head on the my chem part. they do REALLY suck ass. they change their image to make a statment then get bored n change to somthin else. lame... much?
but seriously guys, less self obsession would do you alot of good. it should be people like -----XX that take this into account, especially the coment to stuck in a mosh. wwhy tell sombody to go top themselves? honestly?!
you bunch of fucking idiots.

oh yea... btw... stuck in a mosh is SUCH a REDUNDANT name. -----XX is SO OVER - RATED i almost pitty all of you.
metal head seems to be the only level headed REAL person in this blog. and just because you dont agree with sombodys oppinion you dont have to tell them to go die.

-----XX you sad, sad person... i pitty you.'

I pitty you Nay. You also need spelling lessons or maybe learn to type some things in word. It would be easier for you to sound more like an educated person. I don't think metalhead is the ONLY level headed REAL person, because as you can tell WE'RE ALL REAL! Maybe you just don't want to believe that. GO BACK TO YOUR IMAGINARY WORLD. If it makes you happy just think about this. GET A LIFE! Everyone has a different opinion from the others. Maybe you should take this into account. Not many people have the exact same opinion and no one should. Everyone is unique. Not just you.

#34 StItCh says:

I like the way almost everybody in this forum has turned it into a mass ego argument. The only person who really cares about the issues at hand would be Ross.

MCRFan, I don't agree with the way you pick out everybody else's mistakes. Why put people down?
To make yourself feel better?
Go and do something with your life and stop victimizing people who really care.
Has it ever occurred to you that not EVERYBODY cares how their spelling is? Academic achievement isn't everything.

It may mean a lot to some people, but to others what matters most is doing the right thing. not having an ego trip.

I’m intrigued as to what it is you actually do for a living MCRFan.
Are you still at school?

I’m a student at the University of Plymouth and I’m doing psychology. I know why people are arguing about their own little issues such as "My Chemical Romance - Hot or Not?"

It is so THEY can get THEIR point across. So that THEY can get what THEY want. It all seems a bit selfish.

But honestly, i want to thank Ross for showing insight and intellect. Which is more than most of you have shown, with your sad ego trips, and "oh my god, My Chemical Romance is perfection".

It's not about one band. Or one person.
It’s about one issue. You bunch of selfish assholes!

#35 Spencer says:

'StItCh says:
I like the way almost everybody in this forum has turned it into a mass ego argument. The only person who really cares about the issues at hand would be Ross.

MCRFan, I don't agree with the way you pick out everybody else's mistakes. Why put people down?
To make yourself feel better?
Go and do something with your life and stop victimizing people who really care.
Has it ever occurred to you that not EVERYBODY cares how their spelling is? Academic achievement isn't everything.

It may mean a lot to some people, but to others what matters most is doing the right thing. not having an ego trip.

I’m intrigued as to what it is you actually do for a living MCRFan.
Are you still at school?

I’m a student at the University of Plymouth and I’m doing psychology. I know why people are arguing about their own little issues such as "My Chemical Romance - Hot or Not?"

It is so THEY can get THEIR point across. So that THEY can get what THEY want. It all seems a bit selfish.

But honestly, i want to thank Ross for showing insight and intellect. Which is more than most of you have shown, with your sad ego trips, and "oh my god, My Chemical Romance is perfection".

It's not about one band. Or one person.
It’s about one issue. You bunch of selfish assholes!'

StItCh,
I love how you told MCRFan about their 'sad ego trips' but yet your doing the same thing that they did. GROW UP! It may be that you are a college student, but that doesn't mean that your more mature then they are.

I hope that everyone will stop the fighting. We all have our opinions on My Chemical Romance, their all different from one another. Let's keep it that way. Everyone can think what they want, and everyone can tell what they think, whether you like it or not. Deal with it.

#36 AnGeL Of AnArChY says:

spencer is totally right.
and these remarks are all rather pointless, as they cannot bring back suicide victims, so why argue?

#37 stuck in a mosh says:

yup, went to go fuck myself. was pretty damn good.
but there was a pboblem. some little emo kid has killed themself on my bed. oops.
never mind. only another decrease on tax! WOO! LETS ALL GO DIE!

#38 she_emo says:

we lost a friend coz of emo..

#39 Rikki says:

Tragic Loss Indeed;;
But see. she wasnt an "emo" kid.
she was a want-to-be
the band MCR;; isnt held responsible for this shit.
i mean hell.
people critisize me.
they call me emo cause i wear tight jeans never show my face or talk.
you know something.
this trend of "emo" is getting out of hand. and most of those wannabes dont understand that emo is music. due to the lyrics. and you have to truely appreaciate the music to be "emo"
and then style it up.
but my god. this shit really pisses me off. its rediculous!

#40 anonymos says:

Wasnt this when they were calling My Chemical Romance a death cult and blaming them for her death? :/ they dont deserve to be called that for her stupid mistake because they are a great band and try to save lives. Obviously she didnt get it.


Click Here