Suicide sparks calls for ‘Charlotte’s law'

After a high profile death of someone who appears to have been wronged or was a victim of crime, there tends to be efforts to enact some sort of legislation named after them.  This is usually a bad idea owing to the knee-jerk nature of the effort, failure to examine other aspects to the case, and legislators desire to be seen to be doing something resulting in something draconian.

Charlotte Dawson, a model and TV personality with something of a troubled past committed suicide a few days ago, and a campaign has been launched for a law against cyber-bullying as result of her history of opposing such idiots.  One such incident has been dealt with here in the past. 

What is ignored in all of this is her history of depression, mental illness, and her financial and employment difficulties: 

CHARLOTTE Dawson was found dead at her Woolloomooloo home yesterday, following a long and very public battle with depression.  Friends of Dawson’s have spoken of a sense of inevitability around her death, revealing that in recent weeks the prominent media personality’s mental state seemed specially fragile. 

It is believed Dawson was struggling financially, having borrowed up to $80,000 from friends as she tried to keep up the rent on her $1200-a-week apartment. 

She had also been axed from her role on the popular Foxtel TV show Australia’s Next Top Model, and last November parted ways with management company Chic Management after they said her battles with mental illness were ‘damaging her brand’. 

Only a week ago, Dawson’s ex-husband Scott Miller had appeared on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes to talk about his drug addiction and the role it had played in the breakdown of their marriage. Dawson, who described Miller as the ‘love of her life’, said at the time she wasn’t sure if she would be strong enough to watch the interview. …

While her battles with trolls and bullies has some possible relevance, there appear to be more significant and more immediate reasons for her actions.  Her death is tragic, but is not a good reason to introduce new and more restrictive legislation, no matter how badly we feel about it.