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Four New Jersey teenage girls have been charged in the savage beatdown that family said drove 14-year-old Adriana Kuch to take her own life.
One was charged with aggravated assault, another with harassment and two others with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer told NBC News Friday.
“Each juvenile and their guardian was served with a copy of their complaint and are released pending future court appearances,” Billhimer said.
Though the students’ names have not been released, they are likely the four girls who were previously suspended from the high school and charged with much lower crimes — three were originally slapped with third-degree felony assault and a fourth was charged with disorderly conduct.
The group was seen on video ruthlessly attacking Adriana in their Central Regional High School hallway as she was walking with her boyfriend on Feb. 1.
Her assailants threw a drink on Adriana, kicked and punched her and dragged her down the hallway. They pushed her into lockers, pulled her hair and hit her with a 20-ounce water bottle as onlookers laughed.
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“That’s what you get, you stupid a– b—h!” one person can be heard yelling in the 20-second clip.
According to Adriana’s father, one of the girls who recorded the assault sent Adriana a text mocking her for being covered in “dripping blood” and getting her “a– whooped.”
Adriana took her own life inside a closet in her Berkeley Township home hours after the message was delivered.
“They used the video to continue to harass and intimidate her and make fun of her,” Michael Kuch told The Post Friday.
Kuch believes his daughter’s suicide was fueled by the brutal bullying, which continued even after her death — one of the teen girls involved in the attack has been posting disrespectful Snapchat posts in the last few days, he alleged.
Other parents have claimed that bullying is a pervasive issue at Central Regional High School. One parent, who said her daughter was jumped by students despite looking toward staff for help, launched a Change.org petition to “Stop the Violence” at the school, and has garnered over 8,300 signatures.
More than 200 students protested outside the school Friday over the district’s alleged failure to act — the school did not call the police or ambulance after Adriana’s assault, despite her father’s claim that she blacked out and was covered in bruises.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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