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Infected girl: Phone bullies sent me a text saying 'You are going to die'
Peter Dominiczak6 May 2009
A girl of 12 with swine flu has been bullied by phone calls and text messages telling her that she is going to die.
Phoebe Wyburd is one of six year seven pupils infected with swine flu at Alleyn's School in Dulwich after a child contracted the illness while in America.The school has been closed.
When it was confirmed on Monday morning that Phoebe had caught the virus, she said she began receiving abusive texts, along with anonymous phone calls and abusive postings on Facebook. Phoebe has four sisters, Ellie, 17, Maddy, 14, Sophie, 16, and Mimi, 10, who were also asked not to go to school because of other parents' fears that they may spread the swine flu virus.
Speaking at her home in Dulwich, Phoebe said: "One text said 'You are going to die'. I'm okay now though.
"I do want to get back to school as I miss my friends."
Her parents, Francis and Kate Wyburd said they were shocked that their daughter had been receiving the abuse.
Mr Wyburd, 45, said: "Phoebe was upset by the first couple of texts but once we explained she wasn't going to die she was okay.
"It is cyber-bullying. She knows some of the people who have been sending the messages but quite a few of them were anonymous."
Mr Wyburd added: "A lot of people are over-reacting, it's a sort of ignorance.
"There are some aggressive parents saying none of us should be allowed out. But we are not a threat, we are not displaying symptoms.
"The school have been stunning and the Health Protection Agency have been calling every two or three hours.
"There are a lot of people working on this."
Reader views (19)
they should be named and shamed, people who make comments and threats like they have to this young girl are nothing more than cowards, And Bob from Cheam wot are you going on about the paint on the skirting board do you live in a flawless palace or something, this is a blog about the way a young girl has been treated in response to contracting swine flu not about getting in the painters
- Ian, manchester, UK, 04/07/2009 08:17
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how did they get her mobile phone number ?
- Squiz, Islington, 04/07/2009 07:17
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No doubt the head teacher will wax lyrical about how the school has 'an effective and robust system in place to deal with bullying', which, roughly translated, means that the bullies 'yuman rites' are considered above those of the victim. If the head teacher allows this to go unpunished, then the school governors should resign in disgust. Get well soon Phoebe. Just remember that for every sc*mbag in the world, there are ten lovely, considerate, intelligent human beings.
- Joannie, London, England, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Sarah! My remarks about police are "crackers"?! What?! I never mentioned the police in my message. What are you on about, woman?! Been at the gin again...? 
- Peter, Dublin, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Dear, please show your parents the messages and block the numbers of those you do not know, and remove from your bff list the comments from folks you do know. You are strong and can grow from this, stay well and know that you are sent good wishes from across the pond.
- Marcia, Bangor PA USA, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Dear Not Exactly A Looney Lefty, You are right I was not bullied at school and the reason for this is I wasn't that sort of child. I was brought up to be normal and well adjusted, knew how to take a joke and when something wasn't a joke knew how to give as good as I got. My parents always told me "If someone hits you, hit them back harder" and that to me is common sense to this day. Peter of Dublin's remarks regarding Police are crackers. If kids don't learn to differentiate between larking about and confrontation, and dealing with both, then they are in for a pretty rough ride later on in life. I can say this quite categorically because I still know of a few people who were bullied at my schools (not by me, I hasten to add) and none of them have exactly made raring successes of their lives.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 04/07/2009 07:17
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This is just typical of all children in school.
- Serox, London, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Sarah, just because it is OK with you does'nt mean it is OK with everyone.
You are have clearly never experienced bullying
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world, 04/07/2009 07:17
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in response to Sarah and others, I think we need to distinguish between ordinary banter and slagging on the one hand, and vicious bullying on the other. The tone and to a greater degree, the context of the 'slagging' is relevant here. You are being overly simplistic in not making this differentiation. I don't think receiving a nasty message from someone you don't even know should be dismissed as harmless fun, for example.
- Peter, dublin, 04/07/2009 07:17
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in response to Sarah and others, I think we need to distinguish between ordinary banter and slagging on the one hand, and vicious bullying on the other. The tone and to a greater degree, the context of the 'slagging' is relevant here. You are being overly simplistic in not making this differentiation. I don't think receiving a nasty message from someone you don't even know should be dismissed as harmless fun, for example.
- Peter, dublin, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Chin up, you know it's not your fault, and really you have to pity these people because they don't know any better, this alone makes you smarter than them. It's ignorance on there part. Don't waste your energy even thinking about it, just sit back and see them take the flack for their actions sometime soon.
- Jacqui, Orpington Kent, 04/07/2009 07:17
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What really awful people they are to send such disgusting messages to a 12 year old. I hope that one of them contracts the virus - let's see how they fair then.
- Barbara, Sydney, Australia,, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Sarah, I was bullied at school, I too had a great upbringing by my parents and they taught me to give as good as I got and I did, but that doesn't stop bullying.
You are showing a distinct arrogance based on the fact it didn't happen to you therefore it is stupid that it happens to someone else.
There are so many influencing factors that you have, quite conveniently, missed out. She may well be a popular girl who has a close group of friends, that in fact maybe the reason she is being bullied.
Take a step back and think, bullying is a problem and it needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed by well thought out plans, education and re-empowering teachers.
The problem is the bullies and not the person being bullied!!
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Never mind the swine flu, the skirting on those stairs could do with a lick of paint.
- Bob, Cheam, 04/07/2009 07:17
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This type of bullying is not uncommon, especially with the amount of mental dwarves we have in this country. But never mind what goes around comes around.
- Stephend, London, England, 04/07/2009 07:17
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They should be cautioned by the police and disciplined by the school. This is simply disgusting behaviour and must be stamped out. GET WELL SOON!
- Nack Nack Paddy Mac, kilburn, London UK, 04/07/2009 07:17
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If I were this poor girl, | would publish the names and numbers of her tormentors on the internet. I will shortly be offering a dedicated website to enable victims to name and shame their tormentors, which can be done anonymously, following verification of the material facts so as not to fall foul of the libel laws.
- Jonathan, london, 04/07/2009 07:17
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Oh and I forgot to say Phoebe - GET WELL SOON!!
- Barbara, sydney, Australia,, 04/07/2009 07:17
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I'm sorry but I think this is pathetic and shows how mollycoddled the kids of today are. The day I left school we were all signing our names on each others' shirts (a little bit different to cards or autograph books) and I remember well how quite a few of my classmates wrote things like "I hope you die!" on mine. I did not regard this as bullying but normal classroom banter.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 04/07/2009 07:17
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