Australia's Akubra hat girl kills herself after online bullying, family says

A 14-year-old girl who was the face of Australia’s iconic hat company Akubra killed herself after enduring online bullying, her family said Sunday. Amy “Dolly” Everett, who began the ad campaign when she was 8, died last week to “escape the evil in this world,” her father Tick Everett wrote in a Facebook post. The family did not reveal the extent or the reasons why the girl was bullied. “This week has been an example of how social media should be used, it has also been an example of how it shouldn't be,” Everett wrote. The family released a separate statement on Wednesday to Australia’s ABC Network saying their daughter’s death was the world “crashing down” on them, but thanked the public for the “overwhelming” support. "This is all we are capable of at the moment and ask for your respect to give us time to grieve," the family said. "Our daughter Dolly was the kindest, caring, beautiful soul, and she was always caring for animals, small children, other children at boarding school who were less fortunate than herself.” Akubra also posted a tribute to Dolly Everett on Tuesday, saying the company was “shocked and distressed” to hear about the girl’s death...more