Five of the six defendants charged in connection with the bullying last year of Phoebe Prince in South Hadley, Massachusetts, have agreed to admit to a misdemeanor, and in exchange prosecutors will drop more serious charges against the five, the Boston Globe reported.
Prince, who had immigrated to South Hadley with her family from County Clare, committed suicide in January of last year as a result of being the victim of sustained bullying at the school.
"In a case that made international headlines, the teenagers accused of bullying 15-year-old Phoebe Prince will be allowed to admit to the lesser crime of harassment, the report stated.
The five had faced felony and misdemeanor charges, including civil rights violations causing bodily injury, criminal harassment, and disruption of a school assembly. Two had also faced charges of stalking Prince while one was also facing a charges of statutory rape, a charge that will also be dropped under a plea agreement. Another teen, however, is still facing a statutory rape charge.
The deal is subject to the approval of a judge and if so approved the teens are expected to get probation.
