Bullied girl’s tragic death reveals darker family secrets

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A heartbreaking story of an 11-year-old Texas girl’s suicide has taken an even darker turn as new details emerge about possible sexual abuse within her family. While initial media coverage focused heavily on allegations that Jocelynn Rojo Carranza took her own life due to bullying about deportation threats, her friends have revealed she confided in them about inappropriate touching by a relative.

Marbella Carranza, Jocelynn’s mother, told Univision that her daughter faced cruel taunts from classmates who threatened to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have her family deported, leaving her alone. “The kids said because your family is Hispanic, that they were going to call ICE so her parents could be taken away and she would be left alone,” she explained in Spanish.

The Gainesville Independent School District acknowledged that bullying occurred and confirmed disciplinary action was taken against at least one student, though specific details were not disclosed.

Why isn't this national news?

An 11-year-old girl in Texas took her own life after she was allegedly harassed by classmates who threatened to call the authorities and have her family deported.

Jocelynn Rojo Carranza was a sixth-grade student at Gainesville Intermediate School.… pic.twitter.com/LOjFG8OLLd

— Richard Smith (@Richard_ezio) February 19, 2025

Jocelynn was discovered unconscious at her Gainesville residence on February 3rd and passed away five days later in the hospital. Her tragic death garnered international attention and became a rallying point for immigration reform advocates.

However, according to the Daily Mail, there was more to the story: “But now it has emerged that the district’s ‘summary of findings’ also recorded that Jocelynn told friends she was ‘inappropriately touched by a family member’.”

Multiple students interviewed during the investigation reported that Jocelynn had disclosed the alleged molestation to them but had sworn them to secrecy. Given that four other children resided in the home, the school district was legally obligated to report these claims to Child Protective Services.

Eleven-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza endured months of bullying about her family's immigration status at her Dallas-area school before she took her own life.

As I said to @Acosta – Trump has created a culture of cruelty and meanness that is infecting American society and our… pic.twitter.com/vH2QoD1ug5

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 20, 2025

When confronted with these allegations, Jocelynn’s mother denied any abuse occurred. “I don’t know why they committed, like, why he said that, because I talk with my daughter about that, always. I ask. Nobody can touch your body. Nobody,” she told NBC News.

Additional information revealed that Jocelynn had shared thoughts of self-harm with a cousin, who allegedly informed her mother. However, this information was never communicated to school officials who could have provided intervention services. During a counseling session in October, Jocelynn mentioned concerns about home discipline and name-calling by siblings but did not report any bullying at that time.

The status of any law enforcement investigation into the sexual abuse allegations remains unclear.