Father of bullied Barnet girl, 14, says he's a 'victim of a failing system' after her suicide

The father of a bullied North London schoolgirl said he is a 'victim of a failing system' following her suicide. Mia Janin, 14, took her own life after receiving a torrent of horrendous messages on social media.

The Year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton in Harrow, North West London was found dead at her family home in Barnet on March 12, 2021. At an inquest into her death, North London area coroner Tony Murphy concluded that Mia, 14, 'took her life while still a child and while still in the process of maturing into adulthood', at Barnet Coroner's Court on Friday.

Mia's father, Mariano Janin, paid tribute to his daughter, saying: "She was fantastic, she was very bubbly, good sense of humour, she was beautiful, she was very kind, very creative." Mr Murphy, whose wife Marisa has since died as well, said Mia was last seen alive at about 10pm on March 11 2021, when she said good night to her parents in their family home.

READ MORE: Bullied girl, 14, killed herself after receiving horrendous social media messages

She was found hanged by her parents at about 6.50am on March 12 2021. Two undated letters in Mia's handwriting were found on her bed addressed to 'her loving family and friends', which 'explained that Mia decided to end her life'.

Mr Murphy added before his conclusion that Mia had 'close friends including at her secondary school, but she also experienced bullying from some male students'. He added that neither Mia's family or teachers were aware of that before her death.

Mr Murphy said: "Mia's secondary school has introduced systemic changes following her death. Mia is much missed by her loving family, caring friends and the wider community." The area coroner said he would let the legal representatives know at a later time if he would be issuing a prevention of future deaths report.

In a statement after the inquest, Mr Janin said: "Nothing will bring back my wife and my daughter Mia. For almost three years we have sought answers for the loss of Mia, today we found some of those answers and the failure of the people who trust and were meant to keep her safe.

"My daughter experienced prolonged and sustained bullying in various ways in person and online. In a way it's a relief this has now been recognised, however, there does need to be accountability. Another family cannot live what I have lived."

Mr Janin added: "In order to protect our kids I think we need to do a lot of things. I think we need to put some limits on the access of the kids on the internet and how we can recollect the data if something like this has happened. We need to create a safe environment for our kids."

Mariano Janin, father of Mia, says schools need to create a safer environment for children (Image: James Manning)

Asked what he would like to see in a potential prevention of future deaths report, he said: "I'm not a specialist, I have experience with what's happened to Mia. I think the school has to be more vigilant, they need more young people to understand all this social media, all this technology."

He said that 'school is not only for the curricula' but they need to have 'clear values' in order to respect one another and have a better society. Mr Janin added: "It's very simple, it's nothing to do with me. Unfortunately, I'm a victim of this failing system."

Mr Janin said he would not support smart phone bans in schools, but referred to the Online Safety Bill, saying that it's 'something that is right'. He added: "We need to learn from our mistakes in order to avoid this happening again."

Mr Janin said he was glad to hear the school has put changes in place. Statements given by friends of Mia to the Metropolitan Police after her death were read out to the inquest, in which they said Mia was bullied by other pupils at the school, and that their friendship group was nicknamed the 'suicide squad' in the months leading up to her death.

They said that one of Mia's TikToks was shared to a Snapchat group chat run by male pupils at JFS, where they made fun of her. One child said the boys used the group chat to share nude photos of girls.

Rabbi Howard Cohen, former deputy headteacher at JFS, told the inquest that after Mia's death there was 'some talk around the school' of what he described as 'boys-only bravado groups' sharing images of girls, and he was made aware of a boys' WhatsApp group in which members were rating the 'attractiveness' of female pupils.

But there was no reason to believe the groups were related to Mia, Rabbi Cohen said. He told the inquest he held a meeting with members of one of the group chats, who then agreed to disband it.

Mr Janin told the inquest that his daughter asked if she could move school, after coming home on March 11. The inquest heard that his wife Marisa told Mia she could be home-schooled for the rest of the school year, and that they would look into moving her to a new school after.

Mia then went to bed. Hours later, she was dead. The area coroner previously said that there was no evidence that any images or videos involving Mia had been shared in the group chat, except for the TikTok.

For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org.

Got a story? Email luke.donnelly@reachplc.com

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Travel chaos inbound as Trams partly closed for 14 days in a row and sections of Overground shut for 8 days

Londoners are preparing for two significant closures of parts of the capital's transport network in the coming weeks. Transport for London's (TfL) has said that its Tram network will be partly shut for 14 days in a row between February 10 and 23.

The authority's calendar has also denoted that sections of the Overground will be shut for eight days. Between Saturday, Febraury 10, and Friday, February 23, there will be no Tram service between Reeves Corner and Sandilands. Bosses say a replacement bus service - the TL1 - will operate.

READ MORE: HS2 won't start tunnelling to Euston for years as bosses wait for funding

Sections of the London Overground will be closed for eight days (Image: Peter Zelei/Getty)

Meanwhile, closures on the Overground will vary. Here is a full breakdown of what is planned:

• On February 3 and 4, there will be no service between Willesden Junction and Stratford. Replacement buses operate between Willesden Junction and Camden Road only. Customers are urged to use alternative London Buses and London Underground services

• On February 5, 6, 7, and 8 Monday 5, 10.45pm each evening, there will be no service between Hackney Downs and Chingford. Replacement buses will operate between Hackney Downs and Chingford

• On February 10, there will be no service between Camden Road and Stratford. Replacement buses will operate instead

• On February 11, there will be no service between Gospel Oak and Stratford. Replacement buses will operate

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It comes as TfL is working to replace most of its tram fleet amid dwindling reliability. The authority’s commissioner, Andy Lord, told the London Assembly’s budget and performance committee on December 19 that the procurement of the new stock will begin soon.

The commissioner said: “Our intention this year is that we will start procurement for the new tram fleet. The vast majority of our trams are coming up to 25 years old. We hope to start the procurement process for that imminently."

In June, the TfL board was told in a report: "The majority of our trams fleet is reaching the end of its initial design life and, as a result, is experiencing declining reliability, with one of the lowest states of good repair categorisations across our fleets."

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I banned my brother's girlfriend from my wedding after she made me pay £1,000 for a fancy London dinner

A woman uninvited her brother's long term girlfriend to her wedding after she made her pay £1,000 for a swanky London dinner. Sarah shared the story on TikTok, where she explains that the girlfriend often made 'digs' at her and making her pay for this meal, that her brother previously agreed to pay for, was the final straw.

Sarah explains that the girlfriend had previously asked her to come to a party at her South Kensington flat, and do her friends makeup. Nobody offered her any money but as this was when she was starting out as a makeup artist she didn't mind.

That night, Sarah returned before the others and went to sleep on the sofa. When everyone got back the girlfriend began shouting at her for being on the couch and said "that sofa was more expensive than my car".

READ MORE: The commuter town 1 hour away that over 10,000 Londoners have flocked to with houses £300k cheaper

Sarah says that her brother was unimpressed with how she spoke to me and she felt like "a seven year old child being banished". A few days later she received a text apologising and blaming it on the alcohol.

The TikToker adds: "I'm willing to let it go. I'm not that fussed."

Then, at a later date her brother invited her to Heston Blumenthal's restaurant as the friends he and his girlfriend were meant to go with pulled out. Sarah said: "My first reaction is absolutely not, I do not have that sort of money."

But, Sarah's brother offered to pay for her and her partner as a birthday treat so they eventually agree to go. She revealed: "The meal is out of this world but this girl is really grating on me."

She explains that she continued to make digs throughout the meal and as she gets drunker is getting meaner. The girlfriend then asks for the bill when both the men are outside smoking and splits it.

Sarah felt really awkward and ended up paying the £1000 bill as she didn't want to appear as a freeloader. But after this, she stops talking to her brother as she doesn't "want anything to do with this toxic relationship".

Sarah later gets engaged and despite not talking to her brother her parents invite all of her siblings. She wasn't aware that they had also said they could bring plus ones.

Twelve days before her big day she finds out and uninvited the girlfriend. Sarah said: "It causes a massive fuss because she's already bought her shoes and her hat... I really hope that she ended up wearing those Jimmy shoes somewhere nice."

Sarah concluded that it was the best thing she'd ever done as it led to her brother and his girlfriend to end the relationship and he is now happily married.

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Croydon drivers 'incensed' as 'software mistake' means wave of PCN letters sent out ordering £195 fines

Dozens of Croydon motorists have been hit with PCN letters ordering them to pay £195 immediately. Many claim they did not receive the letters offering them a chance to pay the standard reduced £65 figure if paid within a certain amount of time.

Croydon Council is investigating whether a software failure is to blame for this fault, which targeted motorists who drove through prohibited roads during November and December of 2023. While most acknowledge they drove through these zones and would pay the initial fine, they believe the order for a £195 fine without the chance to contest is ‘unfair.’

Sel Sharpe, an elderly motorist who was caught driving back from Croydon University Hospital told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I just think that it’s kind of heartwrenching to get something like that when you’re a pensioner. They just need to get it right.”

Read more: Croydon's most disgusting fly-tip hotspot in pictures as furious residents beg for it to be sorted out

Residents have been told Royal Mail delays may have compounded the issue (Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)

Sel, of Shirley, also commented how this fine has come at the worst possible time for Croydon residents, who are facing the dual pressures of a cold winter and cost of living crisis. She said: “I’m incensed. It's cold at this time of year, do we have to now cut down on food because we are being made to pay £195.”

After reaching out, Sel discovered she was not the only pensioner who had experienced this. She discovered an elderly driver drove through the same car-restricted section of Lodge Road and received a similar letter demanding £195 instead of the initial £65.

Others have told the LDRS how they have paid the initial fine, but have still received letters from Croydon Council, saying they must pay the full amount or face enforcement action. Many have expressed their frustrations with trying to contact the council to correct this issue.

Speaking to the LDRS, South Norwood resident Jeanette Goddard said: “The problem is that you can’t question it as there are no phone lines you can get hold of. You can send them an email but more often than not they don’t bother to respond. I did try Croydon Council, but I waited half an hour one day and fourty-five minutes the next. They only told me the same thing, which was that I had to send an email.”

Some residents have admitted they don't have the money to pay the increased £195 fine (Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)

She added: “I was parking on the street, waiting to get my tyre changed. As I moved off the camera caught me going down that road. I paid on November 21, but they did not acknowledge it and the next letter said it had now gone up to £195.”

“I’ve already sent them all the proof, so I don’t know what the problem is. There is obviously something going on with their computer system. It’s like Mr Bates vs The Post Office.”

On Nextdoor, one resident said: “Right now I do not have the funds for the full increased amount and feel very upset. I have never received the PCN and its already escalated to the charge certificate. I fear it will affect my credit score if I don’t pay and it is causing a lot of tension.”

Ian Marvin, a Croydon local, also commented: “I had a notice dated November 21, needless to say it arrived too late to pay within the 10 days or whatever as I’m sure it didn’t actually leave until the New Year and then we only seem like most others to get one delivery every week. I’ve contested it, which is another story.

Councillors have acknowledged the distress this software failure may have caused residents, in what is considered one of the most financially challenging times of the year. They also noted the failure may have been compounded by Royal Mail delays over the festive period.

Residents admit driving through traffic-restricted roads, but say were not allowed to pay the lower fee (Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)

Tory Councillor Alasdair Stewart, who represents Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, said: “It’s clear from the residents I’ve spoken to, both in person this weekend and on online platforms, that there is an issue – possibly compounded by delays and issues with Royal Mail deliveries.

“I’m sorry for the added stress this will be causing residents, especially at what is typically an expensive time of year. The Mayor and relevant cabinet members are aware, and I’m sure will do everything they can to fix any issues and ensure residents don’t lose out. If anyone didn’t receive the original Penalty Charge Notice notification letter, they should contact the council directly or via their local councillors.”

While they await the Council’s official response to the issue, residents have also discussed the possibility of filing a statutory declaration with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC). This option could provide them with an alternate means of redress.

Claims taken through the TEC require residents to go to County Court and get a declaration signed officially. Once the claim is received by the TEC, it will prevent any further action from the local authority. The TEC will then asses the claim before making a decision.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson from Croydon Council said: “We are investigating a potential software problem that may have impacted some PCNs issued in the borough late last year. We are currently looking into this further and apologise for any inconvenience or distress that may have been caused.

“We will be in direct contact with anyone affected if our investigation does uncover a fault in the system. There will be a further update this week.”

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Furious Sutton SEND parents slam 'disrespect' from council and announce end to 10-year partnership

A forum made up of parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities has cut ties with Sutton Council, accusing the authority of a lack of trust and not working effectively with them. Sutton’s Parents and Carer Forum (SPCF), which has advised the council and helped shape SEND policy for around 10 years, cites ‘disrespect’ shown to them by Sutton Council as one of their reasons for deciding to cease contact with them as of March 3 this year.

This decision could leave Sutton Council able to make SEND related decisions without any oversight or input from the parents they impact, however the council says it's looking into finding a new independent group to fill the void. SPCF is an Ofsted and Department for Education recognised body that has represented the borough’s SEND families for the last decade.

According to their post, published on X last Friday: “The role of the parent carers on the Steering Group is to lead this work and listen to the views and experiences of other parents in Sutton to make sure they know what is important to them and to feed this back to the local area.”

Read more: ‘Complete lifeline’ Sutton play service for low income families suspends support

Sutton Parent Carer Forum gives SEND parents a voice in the borough (Image: Sutton Parent and Carer Forum)

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a member of Sutton’s SEND parents community said: “The parents forum gets funding from central government but only if the council agrees to work with them. Anytime any new website, policy or anything that could affect SEND parents comes through, the council is supposed work with the forum beforehand.”

The SPCF has worked with the council to provide a number of support services, like Play and Stay and the sunflower lanyard scheme. According to the SPCF, their services help families to realise they are ‘not the only one.’

The forum also raises additional funding for local SEND provision from various charities and groups like Trust for London. Since 2013, they claim to have brought in £400,000, which has been used to fund SEND-friendly playgrounds in the borough.

The forum has helped fund the creation of SEND friendly playgrounds across the borough (Image: Sutton Parent Carer Forum)

However, according to parents involved with the SPCF, COGNUS, the body responsible for operating Sutton’s SEND program, has frequently failed to meet the demands of parents and has, on occasion, ignored them. In a post published on their X page, the forum complained that the council attempted to infringe on their independence as a group, leading many of its members to no longer feel ‘able to attend meetings’.

Lib Dem Councillor Marian James, Chair of the council's Education Committee, told parents that COGNUS officials failed to turn up to a meeting arranged to discuss SEND issues in the borough. James, who worked with SPCF, said the council representative ‘failed to respond to messages left until two days later with the excuse that life had been difficult’.

The X statement added: “Since 2016, we have gradually become disillusioned with the lack of genuine coproduction and trust between the SPCF and the local area and we feel we are no longer making a positive, effective difference for Sutton SEND families.

“We have worked hard to engage independently and productively with pan-disability SEND families in Sutton, but this is becoming increasingly difficult in a climate where the extent of the lack of parental trust is not acknowledged or understood by the local area’s senior management.

Hayley Harding, who runs the Sutton EHCP Crisis group, said this news is 'awful for families' in Sutton (Image: Hayley Harding)

“When we all joined the PCF Steering Group, there was a very different working relationship in Sutton, based on mutual trust and respect and the understanding of the benefit of effective parent carer participation.

“We all used to find the role fulfilling and productive, but we have not felt valued or respected for some time and this has had a negative impact, both on the group as a whole, but also on individual members who feel so upset that they no longer feel able to attend meetings; this has now reached a point where we do not feel we can continue.”

Speaking to the LDRS, SEND parent and campaigner for the Sutton EHCP (education health and care plan) Crisis group, Hayley Harding said: “This is awful for the families in our borough but just shows how little we are listened to here and the lack of respect there is towards parents and their views.

“I've seen firsthand some of the treatment SPF has received and it's made me very uncomfortable and should not have been allowed to take place. In some ways I'm surprised they lasted this long but from a personal point of view, very glad they did. I hope the council and administration are hanging their heads in shame this evening. Somebody at some point should have stopped this.”

Members of the forum said Sutton COGNUS members failed to turn up for meetings with them (Image: LDRS)

Responding to the official statement, SEND advisor Barney Angliss commented: “Credit to Sutton Parent Carer Forum for resigning. Similar happened AforChildren (a similar group in nearby Kingston and Richmond) and in other local authorities. But if no one was resigning from these government contracts, we should be even more worried. Sutton is a shorthand for what's happening in SEND, which is dire.”

This recent announcement is the latest development in what some have called a ‘crisis’ in the borough’s SEND provision. Only two weeks ago, PlayWise, an affiliated group, announced the end of their support fund, which provides SEND assistance to lower income families.

Parents and teachers in the borough have lamented the decision to leave, with many seeing it as a last resort. Despite this, they stil see a healthy relationship with the council as the most beneficial outcome for Sutton’s SEND children. A parent from Sutton’s SEND community told the LDRS: “We need a complete culture change within the council. They need to stop seeing parents as the enemy, we are supposed to all be there to help the children. We don’t want the people who are there to put forward our opinions being treated like this. It’s awful.”

When approached for comment, a spokesperson from the London Borough of Sutton said: "As a local area all partners have really appreciated and valued the work of the Sutton Parent Carer Forum over many years. We recognise that representing young people, their parents and carers and providing appropriate challenge is demanding and important work. We thank the outgoing forum for all that they have done and achieved and we are proud of those things we have achieved in partnership.

"The independent voice of parents, carers, children and young people is important in shaping our services. We must now work with all interested partners to identify a new independent body to take on this vital work."

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New London bus and cycle lanes feature in complete redesign of town centre roads in Greenwich borough

Transport for London has revealed plans to redevelop Woolwich town centre in a project to make streets and roads safer for commuters. The transport authority announced on January 15 that it had planned to extend cycling facilities between the Woolwich Ferry roundabout and Plumstead in a series of changes planned for the area.

TfL said in a statement: "We have been working closely with the Royal Borough of Greenwich since 2018 to develop projects that would make it safer and easier for local people to walk and cycle."

The plans would see a new two way cycle track along the A206, also known as Plumstead Road, Victory Parade and Beresford Street. There would also be a new westbound bus lane on the road between Macbean Street and the Woolwich Ferry roundabout, alongside a new cycle lane between Maxey Road and Burrage Road.

READ MORE: Ofsted slams Greenwich nursery after babies' beds laid on dirty floor but staff challenge inspection

A map of the transport changes planned for Woolwich town centre (Image: Transport for London)

A new signalised pedestrian crossing would be added to the road at its junction with Woolwich New Road. The existing crossing in the area would be moved further east to improve efficiency and to accommodate the change.

Cycling would be allowed on Powis Street in Woolwich town centre under the new plans, connecting the Woolwich Ferry roundabout to the A206 via new cycle lanes on Macbean Street. Powis Street could also see a widened footpath, as well additional seating and planting.

Other changes to bus services include a bus stand replacing bus stop C on Woolwich High Street and merging four stops along the A206 to form a bus stop bypass, allowing a cycle track to go behind a new bus shelter. Greenwich Council is reportedly investigating whether a taxi bay could be added beside the Elizabeth line station in the area.

TfL said in its announcement: "The changes we propose would make streets in the area safer, helping meet our Vision Zero target, as well as being more pleasant by enabling people to walk and cycle more. Our proposals would help us to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, which could improve local people's health. It would also address congestion and help support new developments planned across the wider area by providing better walking and cycling links to local businesses and stations."

The consultation on the project is open until February 25 and can be found on the TfL website. An engagement event for the public to speak to staff about the changes is also planned for February 8 at the Woolwich Elizabeth line station.

Have a story you want to share? Email joseph.coughlan@reachplc.com.

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Heathrow live as British Airways flight forced to turn back to London mid-flight

A plane that took off from Heathrow Airport was forced to turn around and head back to London mid-flight.

The British Airways flight to Prague returned to Heathrow Airport 'as a precaution', though exactly what the problem was in unclear.

British Airways has apologised to passengers, and has said that they'll be ushered to a new plane to make their journey.

A spokesperson said: "We're sorry for the delay in our customers' journey after the aircraft returned to Heathrow as a precaution. Our teams looked after them whilst they waited to board a replacement aircraft to continue their journey."

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