Police are looking again at the reported suicide of a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who her friends said jumped off a cliff, after a video emerged showing her being given a savage beating by those same pals only minutes earlier.

The group of youngsters had gone for a picnic at a beauty spot near an old mine in the district of Sultangazi in the north-western Turkish province of Istanbul last Saturday (28th June).

It was later reported by her friends that she had jumped to her death with no reason given, but this has been called into question after the video emerged of her being beaten by her friends minutes before she died.

The dead body of Elif Cakal, 15, was found at the bottom of the cliff over a quarry after the friends raised the alarm.

Elif’s four friends had initially claimed that they went there together to have a picnic and that Elif got up and approached the cliff after drinking alcohol, and then she committed suicide by jumping.

They indicated that alcohol played a role, however, Hacer Cakal, who is Elif’s mother, whose age was not given, claims that her friends pushed her off the cliff and that her daughter had even received death threats short before she was found dead.

Elif’s father, Kadir Cakal, age not disclosed, said in an interview with the media in tears that his daughter had a fear of heights and that she was definitely not someone who would commit suicide.

As part of the investigation, the statements of Elif’s two girlfriends who were with her were taken, while her two male friends, who were found to have fled after the incident, were detained.

Tuana Y., Senem T., and her two unidentified male friends, were taken into custody and referred to the court with a request for arrest, before later being released under judicial control.

However, after their release, the footage was revealed which is believed to have been taken by one of the two young men.

It shows how Elif was beaten for several minutes by her so-called female friends Tuana Y. and Senem T. who begged them to stop in tears.

Police have not yet commented on the footage or how it will affect the investigation, but the first hearing of the case is expected to take place soon.