'She was my soulmate.' The parents of 12yo Charlotte have spoken at her funeral.

This post discusses the topic of suicide.

Loved ones of 12-year-old Charlotte O'Brien gathered on Friday, September 27, to farewell the Year 7 Student, who died by self-harm.

The service was held at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Sydney, NSW.

Charlotte died on September 9 after allegedly suffering years of bullying at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield.

Speaking at her funeral, Charlotte's mother Kelly described her daughter as her "soulmate".

"She was the cutest, kindest and smartest baby I had ever known. My pride and joy and my best friend," she said through tears.

"We had the most amazing life together," she continued, adding that Charlotte adored holidays and swimming. "On her last night, she told me when we go to Kingscliff next year she was going to be like Moana and never leave the ocean."

"I will miss everything about you, baby. I will miss your hugs, your kisses, your laugh, your beautiful, beautiful smile.

"I will always grieve the life you never had," she said, adding that she will miss her little girl "every day".

"Most of all, I will miss the way you made me feel about me and the way you completed me. You are my world, my life, my Queen B diva, my beauty queen, the star on top of the Christmas tree. You always were and you always will be."

She finished: "From your first breath to my last, I will always love you. This isn't goodbye, it just means we get to love you as you are forever."

Loved ones have gathered to say goodbye to Charlotte. Image: Seven News.

Kelly's partner, Mat — Charlotte's stepdad — also spoke at the service, thanking the 12-year-old for welcoming him into their family so warmly.

"Thank you for being you, thank you for being so thoughtful, thank you for being so kind, thank you for being so brave," he said.

"Thank you for letting me take your mum out on our first date. I was under very clear instructions that I needed Charlotte's approval and thankfully I received it," he added. "Thank you for giving me the greatest honour to be your dad."

He went on to read a message Charlotte had written in his Father's Day card.

"She wrote in her beautiful handwriting: Dear Dad, you are more than a captain, you are also like the sea. You can be calm and powerful, strong when you have to be. You inspire abundance, achievement and infinite possibilities when you share your depth. I'm like a surfer riding your waves of support while you teach me to trust, enjoy the ride and go with the flow.

"I appreciate the wonder, wellness and wisdom you instil in me. You teach me how to navigate through life with freedom and ease.

"Dear Dad, I will always cherish you as I become the captain you taught me to be.

"Love, Charlotte."

He finished: "I miss you today and I'll miss you every tomorrow."

According to 7News, Kelly and Mat requested media coverage of the funeral to help highlight the issue of bullying.

Charlotte took her own life on September 9. Image: Nine.

Following Charlotte's death, Kelly spoke to Ben Fordham about her daughter's struggle. Explaining that the Year 7 student would frequently cry on the way to and from school, Kelly said that she had emailed the college several times about allegations of "friendship issues".

"She didn't deserve the pain she was in," Kelly said. "She didn't deserve girls to bark in her face or scream out her name and run away, to purposely hit her with their bag and say, 'Whoops.'

"She deserved love and kindness. She deserved to be treated with dignity and respect."

In the end, Charlotte's pain became too much.

"My darling baby angel is one because I didn't make a big enough noise for her," Kelly said. "I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry."

Kelly and Mat have said they don't blame the students involved for their daughter's decision, but believe schools need to do more to deal with bullying.

"We as adults need to step in and solve the problem," Mat said. "I'm looking for the schools to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to these things."

The school told Kelly that Charlotte and the girls in question underwent mediation and had "agreed to be kind to each other".

Despite their heartbreak, Charlotte's parents are honouring their daughter's final wish — to share her story far and wide, in the hope of changing the outcome for other bullying victims.

"Her final wish for us to tell her story and that hopefully this would gain some awareness and something positive could possibly come from this," Mat said.

"I get up every morning and talk to whoever wants to talk to me about it… We need to do better for our kids than we're doing today."

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your GP or health professional. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency call 000.

Feature Image: Seven News; Nine.