Two teenage girls jump from apartment building near Moscow

2012-02-08 21:46:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

LOBNYA, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Two teenage girls committed suicide on late Tuesday evening by jumping from a high-rise apartment building near the Russian capital of Moscow as they held hands, local news agencies reported on Wednesday.

The two best friends, identified as 12-year-old Yelizaveta Petsylya and 14-year-old Anastasia Korolyova, reportedly held hands at about 9.25 p.m. local time on Tuesday evening when they jumped from the roof of a 14-story building in Lobnya, a city north of Moscow, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

According to the report, Korolyova had mentioned suicide on a social networking website on Monday evening. "I hate being asked: 'What if your friends decide to jump from the ninth floor? Will you jump too?' Yeah, I will, how can I live without my friends?" she reportedly wrote on her profile.

The Russian news portal LifeNews, which published a photo showing the bodies of the girls and an interview with their mothers, said both girls left a suicide note along with gifts for their mothers. "I will always appreciate those who were with me until the end," Petsylya reportedly wrote.

Friends of the girls told the news portal that Korolyova likely convinced Petsylya to join her in committing suicide. The 14-year-old girl had previously attempted suicide and frequently missed classes due to problems at home, with her father being described as very strict. LifeNews, quoting text from the suicide notes, said the two girls feared punishment after truanting from school for the past two weeks.

According to RIA Novosti, police have launched a criminal case on suspicion the girls may have been 'incited to commit suicide.'

Suicide pacts are a rare event, especially among young children. In April 2011, two 14-year-old girls hanged themselves at a house in Island Lake Township, Minnesota, during a sleepover at one of the teen's homes. The two close friends reportedly felt ostracized and bullied.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-08

12 and 14?

Beyond words.