Editorial: Tragedy a burden for us all to bear

Andrew Austin, editor Hawke's Bay Today.

A report released by Coroner Carla na Nagara into the deaths of four 15-year-old Flaxmere girls is very sad.

The four girls all took their lives between July 2013 and August 2014, and the coroner has delivered her findings into the deaths.

I don't want to go into all the details here as we have covered the findings elsewhere in today's paper, but I do want to say that Hawke's Bay Today, along with many other papers, is very careful about how it reports on such tragedies when they occur.

We have to be sensitive but we can't shy away from reporting on the subject responsibly.

We need to raise awareness so the community can ensure that vulnerable people, especially youngsters, are kept safe and given hope that there is support out there.

As a community we need to have an understanding about what causes people to take their own lives, and to ensure the necessary support and care is there for those in strife.

This issue is not confined to one suburb. Just because the four deaths dealt with in this report all occurred in the same area, it does not mean it is not all of our problem. It is, and it can happen anywhere.

We need to support the professionals and organisations who work in this area so we can prevent the unnecessary loss of life.

If you need help:

- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7).

- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7).

- Youthline: 0800 376 633.

- Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7).

- Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm).

- Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7).