Carol Todd heads to the Netherlands for the trial of her daughter's alleged tormentor
'I want him to know that Amanda's presence is there, that we won't back down.'
Carol Todd is flying to the Netherlands to attend the trial of the man accused of tormenting her daughter Amanda.
Fifteen-year-old Amanda Todd of Port Coquitlam, B.C. committed suicide in 2012 after being bullied online.
Aydin Coban, 38, is accused of blackmailing the teen after she exposed her breasts online. He's also facing 72 charges that are unrelated to the Todd case including extortion and the production and distribution of child pornography.
Coban also faces charges related to a second Canadian victim.
Last June, a Dutch court ruled that Coban can be extradited to Canada to face criminal charges.
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Todd said that while she knows the trial will be "challenging," she feels she needs to be there to honor her daughter's memory.
"It's important for me to be there because it's part of Amanda's story." she said.
"I'm going and seeing him face to face. I want him to know that Amanda's presence is there, that we won't back down."
She also said the Dutch trial will give her a chance to prepare herself mentally for a Canadian one, if Coban is extradited.
"I feel that if this man is to be extradited into Canada, this is my opportunity to get a sense into how I'm feeling, and to introduce me to what might happen in the trial if it comes to Canada," she said.
Parent experienced cyberbullying
Todd raised funds for her trip online, a move for which she was heavily criticized.
"There were people online who would say things like this isn't necessary, why do you need all this money," she said. "One parent said if I'd been a better parent, she wouldn't have died."
Todd said it wasn't the first time she experienced online bullying — the same phenomenon that drove her daughter to commit suicide.
"I have experienced online bullying for the past four years since her death, with memes, with people putting out pictures of my daughter, and people writing that we were horrible parents, that she deserved this." she said.
Todd said one person based in the U.K. has maintained a blog dedicated to harassing and criticizing her family for years.
"I invite him to meet me in Amsterdam and tell me these things face to face," she said.
With files from CBC Radio One's The Early Edition