A YOUTUBE star is believed to have taken her own life after being bombarded with hateful messages.

Kristina 'Kika' Dukic, 21, was found dead at home in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on December 8 after "years" of alleged online abuse.

The death of the internet personality, who had more than a million followers across Instagram, YouTube and Twitch, was first made public by her mum Natasa.

A post, which has since disappeared, confirmed her passing, adding that anyone having suicidal thoughts should seek help.

And a close friend of the star, Mira Vladisavljevic, tearfully told Serbian tabloid Telegraf: "A terrible thing happened last night.

"I appeal to all the media to carefully report on this case and on the girl who struggled with bullying for five years. Please understand."

A string of social media posts suggested Kristina had been battling bullying online for several years.

In one video, she explained that whatever she did, it was never good enough.

Kristina then tried to explain to critics that it was important to be happy and to do what you wanted in life before describing the hate-filled message she had received.

This included people vilifying her appearance and accusing her of having plastic surgery.

Most read in The Sun

One of her main critics was Serbian gamer Bogdan Ilic, as known as Baka Prase, who has more than a million Instagram followers.

He trawled through her videos, labelling her as a fake according to local media outlet Republika.

The newspaper also reports that, due to his large following, things quickly escalated and his supporters bombarded Kristina's posts with hateful comments, including some which said: "Kill yourself."

Bogdan has allegedly since tried to distance himself from the situation, claiming that he had become friends with Kristina before her death.

According to another local media outlet, Direktno, Bogdan claimed he was "among the first" to be told of Kristina's passing.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I'm sorry I didn't announce that we reconciled and became friends," he added.

"I'm sorry because people don't know the reason and point the finger.

"They do not give the dead peace and respect, just to get a few likes, to fulfill their desire for revenge and in the ugliest possible way."

Kristina's final post, shared on November 11, read: "She said, 'Where we goin'?' I said, 'The moon'."

The circumstances surrounding her death are being investigated, the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia said.

An Instagram post from December 11 confirmed Kristina's funeral will be held at one of Belgrade's largest cemeteries in Lešće on December 14.

You’re Not Alone

Every 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.

It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.

It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.

And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.

Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.

That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.

The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.

Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.

If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:

• CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
• Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
• Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
• Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
• Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
• Movember, www.uk.movember.com
• Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm

Source: Read Full Article