Australian actress, filmmaker, and journalist Clare McCann has shared devastating news with the public: her 13-year-old son, Atreyu, has died by suicide after enduring months of relentless bullying at his New South Wales school. In an emotional Instagram post and through a newly launched GoFundMe campaign, Clare is now turning her grief into a call for justice, accountability, and change.
Atreyu, described by Clare as “the brightest light in my world — kind, creative, and endlessly loved,” took his life following what his mother says was an unbearable string of bullying incidents, both physical and emotional. Clare revealed that the bullying began just two days after Atreyu started Year 7 at South Sydney High School in early February. From the start, she said, her son came home in tears, begging for help to stop the abuse.
Among the harrowing allegations, Clare recounts a shocking incident where classmates attempted to drown Atreyu during a school camp. Despite her repeated pleas to the school and official complaints to the Department of Education, she says her concerns were ignored or inadequately addressed. “This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system,” she wrote. “Now I humbly beg of you to help me preserve his life and help me fight against this inhumane landslide of child suicides.”
Clare made the painful decision to remove Atreyu from school in April after he told her that if he had to return, he would take his own life. He began therapy and seemed to be slowly improving. But just weeks later, the unthinkable happened.
In the wake of her son’s death, Clare has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $300,000 AUD goal (approximately $195,000 USD). The funds aim to cryogenically preserve Atreyu’s body within seven days of his death, honoring what she says were shared wishes between them about life after death. If additional funds are raised, Clare plans to use them to support anti-bullying reforms, legal efforts, and other families affected by similar tragedies.
Clare is now calling for urgent educational reform, blasting the current system for what she describes as its failure to act. She says she submitted medical records, emails, psychologist reports, and even a PTSD diagnosis to school officials and the department — all, she believes, were overlooked. “They just destroyed him. And in a moment of immense pain, he just did something, because I think he just didn’t know what else to do,” she said.
Atreyu, already a budding actor with roles in Deadly Women, Black Truck, and Benefited, showed exceptional talent and promise beyond his years. His loss has reverberated throughout the community and beyond, drawing national attention to the issue of school bullying and youth suicide.
NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car called Atreyu’s death “a heartbreaking tragedy” and extended her condolences to the family. Deborah Summerhayes, Deputy Secretary of Public Schools, confirmed that the Department of Education is offering counseling and wellbeing services to the affected school community.
For Clare McCann, the grief is unbearable, but her message is urgent and clear: “This is about hope and justice. Refusing to let my son’s story end in silence.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to 741-741, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are not alone.