A new charge was filed this week against one of four students involved in the New Jersey school hallway attack on 14-year-old Adriana Kuch, who died days later by suicide.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Bilheimer said in a statement Thursday that the student, who was previously charged with harassment in connection with the attack, is now being charged with conspiracy to commit the attack.
“The juvenile was given a copy of that complaint and was released pending a future court appearance,” the statement said. The additional charge was “based on our ongoing investigation.”
The case sparked a student walkout and attracted national attention after video of the February 1 attack at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township was posted online.
Adriana was found dead at her Bevil home on 3 February. Four students involved in the attack were suspended and charged.
Two of them were also charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, Bilheimer said earlier. Another has been charged with a serious assault.
Their names have not been released. NBC News typically does not name minors accused of a crime, even those charged as adults.
Adriana’s father, Michael Kuch, said in a Facebook post and on NBC New York that several students attacked his daughter while she was walking with her boyfriend in the hallway.
He wrote on Facebook that a video of the fight had been posted online and tagged Adriana, a freshman. He said he believed it was posted “to make fun of him online”.
Kuch has since deleted his Facebook account.
Triantafilos Perlapanides, who was superintendent of the Central Regional School District at the time of the attack, resigned the day after Adriana’s funeral services.
The former superintendent suggested in interviews with news outlets including the Daily Mail that Adriana used drugs and that her father had rejected the district’s offers to help.
In an interview with the New York Post, Adriana’s father, Michael Kuch, accused Peralpanides of “blaming” his daughter and said she was not offered drug counseling. The father said that his daughter had used a marijuana vape pen, but no other drugs.
“My daughter was beautiful, and I’m not going to talk about tabloid trash,” Kuch told NBC News about Peralpanides’ comments.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255Text or visit Home at 741741 speakingofsuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
