Court rules against parents of bullied girl who died by suicide

The parents of Emely Frantzen, a 12-year-old who died by suicide in 2023, have lost their negligence case against Sola municipality, Dagbladet reports.

The couple, Bengt and Monica Frantzen, sued the municipality, arguing that the school’s failure to address repeated bullying contributed to their daughter’s death. While the court acknowledged that Emely’s school environment at Dysjaland School caused trauma and likely led to PTSD, it found no direct causal link between the municipality’s handling of the case and her suicide.

Judge Gisle Danielssen noted that the school’s measures, including activity plans under the Education Act, were insufficient but did not meet the threshold for liability. The plans were intended to ensure a safe and supportive psychosocial environment, but the parents argued they were poorly implemented and focused on changing Emely rather than addressing the bullying.

The Frantzens expressed mixed feelings about the ruling. “It’s hard to accept the loss, but the court at least recognised that Emely did not feel safe at school,” they said. “In a way, it feels like she is finally being believed.”

Their lawyer, Svein K. Svendsen of Elden Advokatfirma, criticised the judgment, stating it “misses the mark badly” and underestimated child suicide rates, citing data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Sola municipality’s legal representative, Frode Lauareid of KS Advokatene, rejected this claim and said the school had acknowledged challenges but acted within its obligations.

The case was previously reported to the police but was dropped. The municipality will not face financial penalties, and both parties will cover their own legal costs.