Jonathan Destin, 27, a figure in the fight against school bullying, died Saturday in his sleep, in Marquette-lez-Lille (Nord), announced his mother on Facebook. “To all those who knew Jonathan, through his story, his book, his film, in schools, who one day met him, talked to him, you who have been following us for so many years, I unfortunately have sad news to announce: Jonathan died Saturday at my house in his sleep. It is with a torn heart that I announce this to you, ”she wrote on Monday.
In February 2011, the young man had tried to end his ordeal, six long years of school harassment, by setting himself on fire before throwing himself into the Deûle. He was then 16 years old. Burned to 72%, the teenager from the North had spent three months in an artificial coma and undergone twenty interventions. He survived and wrote a book in 2013, “Doomed to kill me”, adapted into a TV movie by TF1 in 2018.
“The more we raise awareness, the more testimonies there are, the more we will help to put an end to harassment. The book was like a first therapy. The TV movie is a second. It’s constructive for me, as long as I can help other people. It’s a feat every time, ”explained Jonathan Destin to us, during the broadcast of the TV movie almost four years ago. Since then, the young man had multiplied awareness-raising interventions in schools.
A sponsored campaign with Nicola Sirkis
Police have opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of his death, says the voice of the Northwhich specifies that an autopsy must be performed.
“Jonathan always eternally by your side”, reacted on Twitter the singer of the group Indochine, Nicola Sirkis. The latter had sponsored in 2019 a major campaign against school bullying with Jonathan Destin.
“I am particularly affected by his death, his life was terrible from a very young age”, commented Dominique Legrand, mayor of Marquette-lez-Lille, with the Voix du Nord. “I know he was in a lot of pain from his burns and the many surgeries he had,” he added.
“Tribute to Jonathan Destin whose voice was that of all the victims of school bullying! His fight was to free speech to save! May he rest in peace! » tweeted on his side Vincent LedouxMember of Parliament and Departmental Councilor for the North.