US: Pennsylvania transgender teen takes own life
A 17-year-old transgender boy in Pennsylvania has taken his own life.
Riley Moscatel, from Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, died earlier this month when he was struck by a train.
The teen publicly began his transition earlier this year, and according to reports was battling depression at the time of his suicide.
He was a senior at Bucks County Technical High school, where school friend Carley Foss told the Inquirer: “He was super-frustrated with his body, and more and more frustrated every day.”
The boy described himself as “a prisoner of his own body” in a note found later.
His parents gave an interview to the Trentonian newspaper, though he was misgendered throughout.
His mother Kristine Moscatel, who had attempted to support his transition, said: “She’s (sic) my daughter, she’ll always be my daughter.
“We were trying to accept and we never said, ‘No, you can’t be a boy’.”
His father Rich Moscatel added: “She (sic) did a really good job of masking her depression in front of the people that she loved.
“We’re still kicking ourselves as to what was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She was dealing with a lot of pressures.”
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