Police find no evidence of cyberbullying following 14-year-old student's death in Benalmádena

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The National Police have completed the analysis of Ángela's mobile phone and tablet, in addition to inspecting her school environment

Juan Cano

Málaga

Thursday, 5 March 2026, 12:24

The National Police have completed the analysis of 14-year-old Ángela's mobile phone, tablet and social media and found no evidence of cyberbullying. The investigation started after the high school student took her own life in her home in Benalmádena on 14 February.

Ángela's older brother found her body shortly before midnight, after a search that had lasted the whole afternoon. Her parents alerted the Local Police, because she wasn't answering their calls. The autopsy confirmed that she had taken her own life.

The family told the police that Ángela had been undergoing psychiatric treatment and that she had been bullied at school. This prompted an investigation into a possible case of bullying at the IES Benalmádena secondary school, in which the regional ministry of education took part.

The on-site inspection, however, showed that the school had five active anti-bullying protocols but none concerning Ángela. The school staff said they had no knowledge of the girl's struggles.

The absence of a bullying protocol left three possibilities open: that the school had not detected it, that the family had not had time to report it or that there had been no bullying at all.

A few days later, the regional minister of education said that the investigation will focus on a possible case of cyberbullying. Ángela's parents had already given the police her mobile phone and tablet so that they could check her messages and social media.

The expert analysis of the messages has not been easy, because the investigators have to also look for secret codes and emojis that teenagers often use on social media and that can have a devastating meaning for their recipients.

After two weeks of work, the investigators have found no evidence of the bullying described by the family. Although this is the conclusion the police have reached so far, sources say this could change if new clues or testimonies emerge.

On Wednesday, Angela's parents sent a letter to the media in which they stated: "With deep sadness for what happened to our daughter, we want to express that the pain we feel is immense and impossible to describe in words. She was a wonderful girl, special, very sensitive and with a huge heart that filled with light all those who knew her."

Ángela's parents reminded the public that the investigation is still open and asked for "respect for the privacy" of the family, who are going through "one of the most painful moments" of their lives. Finally, they expressed their desire to "honour Ángela's memory and seek justice".