Michelle Carter jailed for inciting her boyfriend to kill herself by text message

A Mbadachusetts judge on Monday ordered Michelle Carter to begin serving her sentence for to persuade his boyfriend to commit suicide. The girl was still on the run after appealing the June 2017 ruling sentencing her to 15 months in jail for manslaughter.

A US court estimated in 2017 that the young woman had encouraged SMS suicide to Conrad Roy III, her boyfriend. "You go to paradise. No more pain. It's good to be scared and it's normal, I mean, you're about to die, "Carter wrote.

Although that year, she was sentenced to 15 months in prison, the judge allowed her to stay at liberty while she appealed her sentence.

However, this time, the Supreme Court of Justice of that state upheld Carter's conviction and stated that the evidence showed that his conduct caused Roy's death by suicide.

As a result of the court's decision, Carter's lawyers filed an emergency motion requesting an extension of suspension of his sentence while she is appealing her sentence before the United States Supreme Court.

For his part, Roy's family lawyer celebrated the judge's decision, stated that he would pursue civil action for damages and that he hoped to create a fund at name of the young man in order to educate the population about suicide prevention.

The case and the freedom of expression

As reported CNNIn the United States, this case sparked a debate over whether a person should, by his words, be responsible for the actions of another person.

Carter was 17 when Roy committed suicide in July 2014. The event investigation was based on text messages in which Carter urged Roy to commit suicide.

Prosecutors argued that Carter had heard on the phone while Roy was choking the inhalation of carbon monoxide in his truck and he did not warn his parents or to the authorities when he died.

Carter's lawyers argued that his words, which encouraged Roy's suicide, "so unpleasant that they were for this court, were a protected speech"

"Today's decision forces the law to blame Carter for a tragedy that it was not a crime. This has very disturbing implications in freedom of expression, in the respect of the procedure and in the exercise of the fiscal discretion ", they declared.

"Mbadachusetts would be the only state to maintain a conviction of manslaughter where an absent accused, with just words, encouraged another person to commit suicide, "the lawyers said in their petition.

In the decision of February 6, the highest court of the state ruled that the girl "helped to plan how, where and when"Roy would commit suicide." Carter "downplayed" his boyfriend's fears about the consequences of his suicide death on his family, the judges decided.

Messages from Carter to Conrad

"You're going to heaven, more pain, it's good to be scared and it's normal, I mean, you're about to die."

"You're not happy here and you'll never be happy in heaven, you'll be happy, do it."

"You are ready and prepared, all you have to do is turn on the generator and you will be free and happy."

"Go back to the damn car!"

"I guess your parents know you're in a bad patch, I'm not saying that they want it, but I'm sure they can accept it."

"They know that they can not do anything, they tried to help, everyone tried, but there is a point where no one can do anything to save you, not even yourself. "

"I think your parents know that you've come to this point … You said your mother saw something about suicide on your computer and she did not say anything, I think that she knows that it is in your head and that she is ready for it. "