GRANBY -
Her father carried her remains and her mother was consoled by family, as last respects were paid to teen suicide victim Marjorie Raymond in Granby Saturday.
Raymond, 15, ended her own life Monday after relentless bullying by students at her school in Gaspe, where she lived for three years before her death.
Her funeral as held Saturday in Granby, 80 kilometres east of Montreal, where she grew up.
The teen's mother, Chantal Larose, said many were moved by the heartbreaking story.
"I want my daughter to know that everyone who's here today loves her a lot, and that many people are touched by her story," she said.
Larose said her eldest daughter was a happy girl until her family moved to the Gaspe, when she began to be tormented at school. Students were jealous, said her mother, when the new girl began making friends. They made her life miserable.
In her suicide note, the teenager wrote, "The world is full of jealous people seeking to destroy happiness."
As she was laid to rest, Larose called it the worst tragedy a family can endure, but also said she found strength in her daughter.
"Marjorie keeps me going," she said. "My daughter's mission was to help others who are being bullied, and I'm carrying out that mission."
Quebec actor Jasmin Roy, who was bullied for years, was moved to tears at the funeral service.
"It was very moving to see this, because I lived it for five years," said Roy.
Roy said Raymond's story hit a nerve with all Quebecers, and that the time has come to stop bullying.
"Let's stop putting up anti-bullying posters and hire experts in the schools to help," said Roy.
Social worker Marie-Danielle Lemieux agreed.
"Fourteen per cent of students suffer major depression," she said. "The problem is enormous. We need a better support network."
Larose said she feels something positive will come out of this tragedy; there are now dozens of Facebook tribute pages to Raymond with thousands of messages of support.
In another show of support, about 200 people turned up in Maisonneuve Park Saturday to protest all forms of bullying.
Demonstrators marched in the event, planned weeks before the 15-year-old Gaspe girl took her own life, to advocate establishing a government program to fight bullying.
They dedicated the march to Raymond.
Some marchers criticized social networking platforms for facilitating bullying among youth.
It is essential that teachers and school management discuss bullying with parents and change school rules to combat the issue, said event organizer Isabelle Marchand, whose son Maxime Collard earned an award earlier this week for initiating the anti-bullying campaign.
Some schools are already addressing the issue, but more needs to be done, said Marchand.
With a report from La Presse Canadienne
