Parents sue municipality after daughter’s suicide linked to severe bullying

The parents of 12-year-old Emely Frantzen are suing Sola municipality, alleging their daughter’s suicide was the result of prolonged severe bullying and the school’s failure to intervene, Dagbladet reports. The case is now before Stavanger District Court.

Emely’s parents, Bengt Ove and Monica Frantzen, claim the school repeatedly ignored their warnings and failed to create a safe environment despite multiple action plans. “Emely grew sicker and sicker from how she was treated,” Monica Frantzen said. “She was severely bullied, and Sola municipality failed to stop it. They never admitted they lacked the expertise to handle such a serious bullying case.”

The couple describes physical and psychological abuse, including Emely being kicked, hit, and excluded by classmates. “She never fit into the group. She sat alone on a bench in the schoolyard,” Monica said. “We saw it. Others saw it.”

While acknowledging no legal outcome can bring their daughter back, the parents insist the lawsuit is necessary to expose systemic failures. “We’ve already lost—we won’t get Emely back,” Monica said. “But we had to do this. No other family should endure this.”

Their demands include compensation for funeral costs and non-economic damages, but their primary goal is accountability. “We need the municipality to take responsibility for its failure toward Emely,” Bengt said. “We expect her suffering to be acknowledged, not downplayed as it was when she was alive.”

The parents also call for policy changes to prevent future tragedies. “We don’t want anyone else to flee or take their own life because of bullying,” Bengt said. “This must never happen again.”

Sola municipality has not publicly responded to the allegations. The trial continues in Stavanger District Court.