Phoebe Prince's Father Speaks Out

In the first interview either of Phoebe Prince’s parents have given since their daughter’s suicide last January, father Jeremy Prince tells Slate that he would like to forgive the Massachusetts high-school students currently facing criminal charges for cyberbullying his 15-year-old, calling her an “Irish slut,” among other things. The most serious charge against them: a civil-rights violation with bodily injury, which carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence. Others include criminal harassment and stalking. “If someone is punished disproportionately to what they’ve done, that would be wrong,” Prince said. More than anything, he said, he wants those involved to own up to what they did and apologize for hurting his daughter. “If they confessed to the court and said they were sorry, I’d appeal to the court for total leniency,” Prince said. “You can go two ways. You can look to the court for revenge or you can look for leniency. The latter path is mine.”