Adriana Kuch case UPDATE: What has happened to the tragic teen's bullies?
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
BERKELEY, NEW JERSEY: The death of Central Regional High School student Adriana Kuch, 14, on February 3, 2023, has made several current and former students voice out that the school took no action to prevent bullying. Hailie Engesser, a 9th grader and a friend of Adriana, told, "It’s actually really, really hard to be going to school because of all the bullying and everything that’s been going on."
Kuch died by suicide after a 20-second clip of her being bullied surfaced on the internet on February 1. In the video, Adriana was seen walking down the hallway when a student came to her and started beating her in the face with a water bottle. This led Adriana to fall down to the ground, followed by cheering which was recorded off-camera. The video ended with someone saying “that’s what you get, you stupid a** b****," reports Patch. The culprits were seen punching and pulling Adriana’s hair, while others laughed and recorded the physical assault, states ABC 7. Following this, four students involved in the death of Adriana were suspended and Central Regional School District (CRSD) & Seaside Heights Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned.
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‘I wish the school had stepped in, it's scary’
The same student made similar threats to other students, Engesser told The Independent. And one of the victims, a boy who got bullied, left the school soon afterward. “I wish the school had stepped in. It’s scary because nowadays students actually do bring guns to school. People should not feel scared and humiliated to go to school,” Engesser said, whose mother Cherice Anthony told the outlet that she was “disgusted” the way the school dealt with her daughter's bullying ordeal. "The whole board needs to be fired and held accountable for all of the bullying in that school,” the mother expressed. Engesser left the school in January 2023.
Emma Smith, a fellow freshman, said students were scared to walk in the hallway of Central. "We’re terrified we’re going to get picked on and jumped because that’s all that’s been happening,” the student narrated, according to NJ1015.
What happened to the tragic teen bullies?
While the details about the suspects or their names have not been released because they are minors, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D Billhimer stated last week that one juvenile has been charged with aggravated assault, while, two juveniles have been charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and one juvenile is charged with harassment, reports CBS. "They were previously charged with third-degree felony assault, while one girl faced one count of disorderly conduct," Billhimer said, according to News 12 New Jersey.