The mother of a university student who committed suicide a year ago commemorated her daughter's death with a walk Sunday with friends and family along Ottawa's Rideau River where her body was found.

Deborah Chevalier and about 50 friends, classmates and relatives tossed white flower petals into the river, where Nadia Kajouji's lifeless body was found last April.

Kajouji, 18, disappeared from her dorm room at Carleton University in early March 2008. After a fruitless search orchestrated by her family, police and Carleton security, her body washed ashore six weeks later.

At the time, Kajouji's family members lashed out at the university, saying more should have been done to notify them of her disappearance, especially after the revelation that the teenager from Brampton, Ont., had been prescribed medication to combat depression and anxiety.

Family members also said the Ottawa police could have acted faster on the missing persons case.

Internet predation suspected

Chevalier still harbours a grudge, but recently her attention has shifted to an ongoing investigation in St. Paul, Minn., where a man is suspected of luring victims through online suicide chat rooms, encouraging them to kill themselves.

Police said they suspect the man chatted with Kajouji in the days leading up to her death, but no charges have been laid against him.

Parts of the email conversation, released to the media by Kajouji's family, include suggestions on effective suicide methods and a gruesome request to watch Kajouji hang herself via webcam.

Sunday's walk had a second purpose, Chevalier said.

"Basically, this is a search for justice," said Chevalier. "We need to demand law enforcement do something about internet predators.

"I've never really been impressed with what the Ottawa police have done. I thank God for the Minnesota police because they're the ones that are pursuing it and they're the ones hopefully [who] are going to set a precedent."

Chevalier said the past year has been "very dark" for the family, but she established a website to raise awareness and to demand governments and law enforcement agencies "get serious" about internet predators.

"My whole life, from the day Nadia was born, she was my sole purpose," Chevalier said.

"When she was gone, there was nothing left for me, so this is the start of something new for me, because I have a new purpose now and that's to search for justice."