Pretend Student Syndrome Claims Life Of Young Woman

This pretty 26-year-old girl killed herself after lying to family and friends for six years that she was studying medicine at university, it has been revealed by her sister, who has come forward to speak about the family’s tragic loss.

Dianne Tonies took her own life in her apartment in the city of Leiden located in the Dutch province of South Holland in January of this year.

Tonies was the oldest of four and had a boyfriend named Stefan at the time. Her death came as a shock to everyone.

After her father called her university to inform them of her passing he was shocked to find out that they did not know who she was.

Credit: @dianne.tonies/Newsflash
Dianne Tonies

One of her sisters, Rachel, 25, told Dutch newspaper ‘De Sentor’: “Her secret was getting bigger and she saw no other way out.

“Shortly after Dianne’s death, we heard there is a term for it: Pretend student. It starts with telling a little lie, often for your own good, but it turns into an endless web of lies.”

Dianne told her boyfriend that she was going to have drinks with friends to celebrate after handing in her medical thesis on 16th January of this year.

After no one heard from her the following day, a housemate decided to enter her room through a window to check on her only to find her dead on her bed with the door locked from inside.

Rachel said: “Police thought it was a crime at first but it soon turned out otherwise. Of course, the door was not locked from the inside for nothing.”

Dianne’s family found she finished 20 out of 40 credits in her first year but did not continue. Rachel said: “We found an agenda from 2013-2014 in her room. In the first few months, it was full of lectures and exams.

Credit: @laura.tonies/Newsflash
Dianne Tonies picture with her sisters and friends January 2016

“After, it became quiet. Halfway through in another manuscript is the sentence: ‘This is my new handwriting from now on.’ Yes, It is bizarre.”

While trying to make sense of it she said: “How did she live in Leiden? What was she doing all day? We do not know. She did not have many people around her in Leiden but she did have a bond with her housemate, Simone.

“We know from her that Dianne often left home early in the morning, even before her housemates.

“Maybe she would come back when others were gone. Maybe she spent all day in the library. I still want to find out.”

Dianne did not leave anything behind to explain her actions and left both her computer and phone wiped clean. Researchers are investigating her computer to see if they can find any further explanations by recovering any of the data..


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Delano Langras, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency: Newsflash

The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.

GET THE NEW STORIE ON TIME!!!!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Signup to our Newsletter